


Ghostober 2020 Collection

by TheMysteriousGeek2345



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Alison and Mike are really nice as well :), Alison is exasperated, Alison questions Julian’s existence, Captain and Thomas bonding over musical theatre, Chess is mentioned, Day 29 is wish fulfilment and I stand by my decisions., Fanny and Robin have a chat, Fanny is also on the taking care of Jemima bandwagon, Fanny just wants sleep, Finally, Found Family, Gen, Ghostober, Greek Mythology References, Halloween Parties are mentioned, Hide and Seek, Humphrey is the voice of reason., Humphrey needs hugs, I’m sorry Kitty!, Jemima has had a very lonely childhood, Jemima needs hugs as well, Julian actually does something nice for once, Julian actually needs hugs and I am surprised that I am saying that, Julian is getting into trouble afterwards though, Julian is just an asshole sometimes., Kitty And Mary are totally BFFs, Kitty also needs hugs, Kitty and Jemima are slowly becoming friends., Kitty is innocent and the other ghosts try and keep her innocent, Let the Ghosts have one day outside Button House, Mary deserves all of the nice things, Mary just wants to hear the Captain sing more and honestly that’s fair, Mike And Alison get an evening to themselves., Mike gets confused by the ghosts, Misunderstandings., Nightmares, No Swans were harmed in the process of making this chapter, One OC is mentioned, Pat accidentally says what a lot of the ghosts are thinking, Pat is the Dad of the Ghosts confirmed, Pat needs hugs as well., Plague Ghosts roast the main cast, Poetry, Poor Humphrey, Robin and Julian discuss the concept of eternity, Robin is best caretaker confirmed, Robin is feeling lonely, Robin plays with the lights, Self-Loathing, Shakespeare, Spoilers for About Last Night (S2E2), Spoilers for Perfect Day (S2E6), Spoilers for Redding Weddy (S2E3), Spoilers for The Thomas Thorne Affair (S2E4), The Captain has excellent negotiation skills, The Captain needs hugs., Thomas also needs hugs, Thomas and Alison are on the journey to becoming friends, Thomas is obsessed with poetry, Trigger Warnings in Author’s Notes for Day 19, Trigger Warnings in Author’s Notes for Day 21, Wedding chats, Will add more tags as I add more prompts, baking references, discussions about betrayal, mentions of halloween, philosophy discussions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 19,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26737960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteriousGeek2345/pseuds/TheMysteriousGeek2345
Summary: A series of one shots based on the Ghostober 2020 prompts.
Relationships: Alison/Mike (Ghosts TV 2019)
Comments: 234
Kudos: 197





	1. Day 1: Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humphrey hears a song that he hasn’t heard on the radio before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my attempt at doing Ghostober 2020. I actually haven’t attempted a writing challenge before, but I saw the prompts on The Button House Plague Pit Discord and was inspired (TM). 
> 
> Yes they were drawing prompts, but had a few ideas for fics and... well I am attempting the challenge. I do hope that you enjoy my take on the prompts and that maybe this may inspire some of you to write/draw/perform an interpretative dance based on some of the prompts?
> 
> Also yes, I am 20 minutes early but eh. I’m impatient. XD

“Now, let me at the truth which will refresh my broken mind.” Alison sung quietly to herself, as she looked at the wall in front of her. Today, she would be finally applying a fresh coat of paint to the wall in order to try and brighten up the place. After all, Mike’s folks would be coming down for Halloween and she wanted Button House to look... presentable.

Humphrey watched her as she started deliberating between various colours, as that was the only thing he could do in his disembodied state. However, there was one thing that he wanted to know. “I haven’t heard this piece of music before. Has it recently been composed?”

Alison shook her head, “It was released a while back. I think Mumford and Sons wrote it? I’m not too sure myself.”

“Interesting.” Humphrey said quietly, “Do you know what it’s about?”

Alison shook her head again, before she quickly pulled out her phone. Humphrey watched her type something into it, and then she started reading whatever it was showing her, “Apparently, it’s about Plato’s Cave Allegory...”

“Ahh yes, I remember studying that when I was younger...” Humphrey trailed off, as he tried to work out the best way of explaining it to Alison, “It’s about a group of prisoners who have been chained to the wall of a Cave for their entire lives. Behind them, there’s a fire that is projecting shadows, cast by objects being passed in front of the fire, onto a blank wall in front of them. The idea is that the prisoner’s reality are the shadows that they see, but those are not accurate representations of the read world.”

“Huh. That’s cool.” Alison nodded, as she looked at the paint chart in front of her. By now, the song had changed and some loud rock piece blared out of the radio. Humphrey didn’t say anything else, as Plato’s allegory consumed his thoughts further.

And an awful idea entered his mind.

Wasn’t Button House, in a sense, like the Cave? And if that was the case, were Humphrey and his fellow ghosts the prisoners?

Due to whatever higher power or demon that trapped them here, they were confined to the old house and its lands. Those were the metaphorical chains. That meant that the Shadows being projected into the blank wall were the new ideas and forms of entertainment Alison and Mike, along with past residents and other visitors, had brought with them to Button House. And from these ideas, they had to try and work out what life was like outside of their metaphorical ‘cave’.

But, unlike Plato’s Allegory, there was no chance of _escape_. There was no way of leaving Button House and seeing what was going on in the nearest town, of _seeing_ what modern life was really like. Instead they would have to be content with watching the shadows dancing across the blank walls, as the world continued to move on without them.

By this point, Alison had finally decided what colour she wanted to paint the wall. She left the room, asking Mike if they could drive to the nearest paint store to grab a tin of blue paint. Humphrey, meanwhile, could only watch the wall and wish that he too could one day leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song was the Cave by Mumford and Sons and one of the theories surrounding its meaning is that it is based on Plato’s Cave Allegory. And yes, a large chunk of Humphrey’s explanation was borrowed from Wikipedia. 
> 
> As for why I chose Humphrey as the person who would be having this discussion with Alison- it’s simple. Humphrey was probably alive during the Renaissance and as a result may have studied this. Plus he was reading that book on Charles I, so I feel that he probably would read Philosophy as well. 
> 
> I also agree with Humphrey in a sense that Button House can be compared to the Cave. However, I personally feel that the situation that the Ghosts are in is more akin to the play Huis Clos written by Sartre. However, I feel like the only Ghost who might potentially know the play is Julian and.... I don’t think he’d find it interesting for some reason.


	2. Day 2: Dante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julian attempts to cheer Fanny up after the incident with Dante.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh thank you for the positive feedback so far! I really appreciate it a lot :) I am really enjoying this challenge thus far, and I am glad that you are enjoying my attempt as well.
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! :)
> 
> ALSO THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR S2E2 - if you haven’t watched that yet please do not read this one. :)

Three hours had passed since Dante had gone up in flames. Everything quickly fell into Chaos after that. Most of the ghosts had forgotten, or didn’t even realise, that Alison was having a difficult conversation with whoever the person at the door was. Instead they immediately looked at Fanny, concerned about how she would react to the events that had just occurred.

She didn’t take it well.

With a shriek, Fanny stormed out of the living room, phasing through the nearest wall and out of sight. The other ghosts awkwardly stared at the wall for a few seconds, before each of them decided that it would be better if they left. After all, they were the ones who told Alison to stick Dante near the fireplace.

In the end, Julian was the one who decided that he would be the one to cheer up Lady B. It took a while to find her, but eventually he saw her sitting by the lake. It looked like she had been crying, but wasn’t at this present moment.

Fanny turned around, as she heard Julian approaching. She scowled, before asking. “And _what_ are you doing here, Julian? Have you come to mock me? It is most rude to...”

“Nah, I’ve come to cheer you up.” Julian replied, being honest for the first time in... a while. Yes, let’s just say a while.

“How? By talking about these so called.... Spanish Fiestas or whatever acts of pure filth that you have engaged in in my house?” Fanny said scathingly.

“No, honestly it’s not like that. I just wanted to show you something in th...” Julian began.

“You, honest? Whatever next? Thomas stops being melodramatic? Robin and Mary learn how to speak properly?” Fanny interrupted, sounding unamused at Julian’s remark. Julian ignored Fanny’s words (which, to be fair, he was used to doing at this point), instead grabbing Fanny by the arm and dragging her to the nearest bathroom. He had noticed that there was a pane of fogged up glass earlier, and he had an idea.

“Now, what did you want to show me? It had better be important, considering that you dragged me here like the uncultured ruffian that you are.” Fanny asked. Julian looked at the glass, and pressed his finger against it. A few minutes passed, with only the sound of Julian’s grunting filling the space between them. Eventually, Julian stepped back to admire the drawing that he had done.

Fanny, however, seemed to be confused, “What is this drawing meant to be, Julian?”

“I drew Dante.” Julian replied quietly, “Yes, I know it’s not a work of art, and yes I know that it won’t last forever, but...”

Fanny stared at Julian in shock, her eyes going watery, “I.... thank you, Julian. I apologise for what I said earlier. But why...?”

“When I was alive, I used to have a dog myself.” Julian began, “His name was Winston, and he kept me company during some... difficult times. We had to put him down in the end. Old Age. The point I want tomake is... You see... losing a pet is hard but we will never lose our memories of them. Just hold onto those memories nice and tight and Dante will always be with you. Unless, of course...”

Fanny sniffled, before she said quietly, “Thank you again, Julian. I will try and remember that. I have one question for you if you don’t mind me asking. Why don’t you act like that more often?”

“Because I have a reputation to maintain.” And, just like that, Julian had reverted back to acting like the... Julian Fanny knew very well, “Now, if you’d excuse me Lady B, but I need to persuade Alison to let me try out that golf game again. Let’s keep this a secret between the two of us, ok?”

With that, Julian sauntered off to gods knows where. Fanny took one last look at the... drawing Julian did for her, memories of growing up with Dante flooding her mind, before she too left to find the rest of the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Julian’s dog was named after Churchill. Because, apart from Thatcher, Churchill was the most logical name choice for Julian’s dog as the other Conservative leaders were more moderate than Julian is. And I ruled out Thatcher because I hc that he had Winston in the early 70s, and Thatcher wasn’t PM yet.
> 
> This one shot is also the only one (at the moment) which is set during canon. The plan at the moment is for the other one shots to be set post canon, though that could change as time goes on.


	3. Day 3: Trousers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain finds himself going down memory lane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh thank you everyone! You’re feedback has been so lovely and I really appreciate it!! :D 
> 
> I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :) I really liked writing this one.
> 
> ALSO SPOILERS FOR S2E3 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ONE- If you don’t want to be spoiled please watch the episode first :)

Some days, the Captain needed to look at the photograph he hid in his trouser pocket.

Today was one of those days.

His morning had gone off to a terrible start when he was three seconds slower on his morning run than he was normally. Then everyone started getting too excited about a Halloween party that Alison and Mike were going to hold for Mike’s that year, and none of them would calm down about it despite his best efforts to make them see reason.

And then _his_ favourite piece of classical music came up on the radio, and the Captain suddenly felt very lonely.

The Captain walked into his room, and sat down on his bed. Once he made sure no one was in the hallway outside, he gently pulled out the photograph he had hidden in his pocket.

The photograph was of him and Havers at the beginning of the war, back when they were both so _innocent_ , and unaware of the horrors that they were about to face.

The Captain remembered that day well. The whole unit had spent the afternoon playing cricket together, in order to get to know each other better and develop important team working skills that they would need to win the war. After the game, they spent the rest of the day back at Button House in order to prepare themselves for the war ahead.

Later that evening, the Captain and Havers went to their office in order to discuss further details. The Captain shut his eyes, as he remembered what Havers said to him.

“You know what, Captain?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Havers?” The Captain said quietly.

“I am looking forward to working with you in the future, and I hope that, in time, we can be friends.” Havers replied honestly.

The Captain smiled warmly to himself, as his metaphorical heart skipped a beat.

Bringing himself back to the present, the Captain opened his eyes and turned over the photograph in order to look at the caption written on the back:

_05/09/1939- Captain ____ and I discussing strategy._

Havers had written it, in his usual messy handwriting that was very hard to decipher. The Captain had reminded him consistently to work on his handwriting as it was crucial that important memos were legible.

Still, it was one of the few things that the Captain had to remind himself of Havers and at this present moment William’s awful handwriting was nothing short of endearing.

He spent a few more minutes in his room, treasuring the memories that he had of Havers, before he gently placed the photograph back in his pocket and resumed his usual routine in Button House.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know Julian would have been the obvious choice for this chapter but a) he was in my entry for ‘Dante’ and b) ...... Yeah, no. I have no idea if the Captain’s trousers really have pockets but they do in this universe. ;) 
> 
> The piece of Classical music that was playing on the radio was ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’ from Holst’s The Planets. It is a really good piece of music and it felt appropriate for Havers to like it.
> 
> As for the innocent comment- I imagine that Havers and The Captain were too young to take part in WW1 and yes, they could have read about and studied the war, but it’s different to actually experiencing a War.
> 
> I deliberately chose to give Havers messy handwriting so that I did not have to give the Captain a name.


	4. Day 4: Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty interrupts Thomas whilst he’s preparing a surprise for Alison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness thank y’all for the Kudos and Comments- I really appreciate the feedback this is getting! ^.^
> 
> I hope that you enjoy this one as well! This one doesn’t give spoilers for any series 2 episode, so this one is safe to read! :)

“When shall we three meet again? In Thunder, Lightning or in rain?” Thomas said dramatically, getting into character as he stared intently out of the window, “When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.”

“Ooooh, what are you doing Thomas?” Kitty said, as she entered the room. Thomas jumped at the sound, losing his place in the script. Kitty continued eagerly, “Oh, are you acting Thomas?”

“Why, yes, I _was_ acting.” Thomas said, sounding irritated, “Until you came in and interrupted me.” Thomas crossed his arms.

“Oh, Thomas I am ever so sorry for interrupting you.” Kitty said apologetically, “I didn’t realise that you were focusing on your acting until...”

“I gathered. I will accept your apology, but...” Thomas said quietly, “Please can you leave the room? I was preparing to put on a performance of Macbeth for fair Alison before Mike’s family came over for the Halloween, and I wanted to make sure that...”

Thomas, however, found himself silenced as Kitty clapped her hands together, a giant grin blossoming on her face, “Oh, how _exciting_! Please can I take part? I loved attending the theatre when I was a child...”

Thomas shook his head, “Now, Kitty, I...”

Kitty pouted, “Oh, pretty please? I have always wanted to do something like this, but nobody I knew wanted to stage a performance with me.”

At first, Thomas wanted to say no again, but then Kitty’s remark about no one wanting to act with her struck a chord with him. After all, his family were always far too busy to indulge in his love of poetry or theatre. Thomas looked at Kitty with a smile, “Of course you can Kitty. I was just practicing the first scene where the three witches makes plans to meet Macbeth. Would you like to play the role of the third Witch in this scene?”

Kitty nodded, “I would love to! But, if there are three witches... who will play the other one? I’m thinking that Fanny would do a really good job of...”

Thomas said quickly, “We can just do a two person performance if you’d like.”, trying to resist laughing at Kitty’s remark. She was right. Fanny would do a splendid job of playing one of the witches. The problem would be asking her to play that role in the first place.

Kitty nodded, quickly reading the first page of the script (which Thomas had asked Alison to print out for him earlier), before she said enthusiastically, “Right, here goes... That will be ere the set of sun.”

Thomas listened to Kitty’s first attempt at playing the third witch, before saying, “You do have the enthusiasm, but the witches are meant to be terrifying and powerful entities. Could you sound more frightening for me...?”

Kitty nodded, repeating the line. Thomas smiled, and commented that she had done a good job. Kitty beamed.

Perhaps, including Kitty in his production of Macbeth was not a horrible idea after all. Now, all they needed to do was make sure that it was absolutely perfect on the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... I apologise to Alison in advance. She’s probably going to get woken up at 6am by these two. As for if the play is going to be amazing or a disaster... *shrug*.
> 
> And to explain how the Ghosts are going to get past the fact that they can’t touch stuff- they got Alison to print off the script and from there they are doing some weird workarounds (probably involving Alison) so that they can see the whole script.
> 
> Fun fact: I literally forgot that Mat played Shakespeare in Bill Until I was editing this so this is was unintended Actor Allusion. I just thought Thomas would enjoy Shakespeare. XD


	5. Day 5: Modern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pat, Mary and Humphrey have a chat about Modern Life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh thank you for the views, kudos and comments y’all! I really appreciate it. :)
> 
> Also I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!! :)

It was the quietest session of Life Club Pat had ever ran. The only people present, apart from himself, were Mary and Humphrey (who was only here because his body was nowhere nearby). Pat knew that Robin was distracted with the Halloween lights that Alison and Mike had bought earlier that day. Everyone else... Pat had no idea where they were.

Still, it was important to host this meeting. After all, it was one of the very few ways they could maintain a sense of normalcy in their current state of existence.

“Right, welcome to Life Club!” Pat said cheerfully, looking at the other two attendees, “Now, what you like to talk about today?”

Mary looked down at the ground, before she asked quietly, “If yous was alive in the Modern days, what would yous be wanting to do?”

Pat fell silent for a few seconds, stunned by Mary’s question. He often wondered wondered what he would be doing today if he was... you know, still alive, but the fact that _Mary_ was the one who was asking the question surprised him. He eventually said earnestly, “That is a good question, Mary. Do you want to start us off Mary, or...?”

“... I would like to have a gardens.” Mary replied wistfully, “Not a big one, mind yous, but I would like ones just big enough to grow flowers... and maybe a few vegetables. I... also wishes I could try some of that here makeups that Alison keeps on trying on.”

“How come, Mary?” Pat asked her, curious as to why Mary wanted to try on makeup.

“I been dead 300 years and always looked like this.” Mary replied, gesturing at her outfit, “... I just wants to look pretty.”

“You look lovely Mary.” Humphrey said honestly, “Though I understand why you want to have a makeover. After a few centuries of looking like... this, I too wish that I could wear something different. Or well, that my body could wear something different.”

“I just wish I could wear trousers instead of these shorts.” Pat admitted, before he turned to look at Humphrey’s head, “Now, what would you do if you were alive today, Humphrey?”

“Well, to start off, I would actually have a body, so I would start off by going for a long walk.” Humphrey replied quickly, “But after that... I would like to visit a library. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about this, but even though Alison and Mike are doing their best to show us what the modern world is like, it would be impossible for them to show us everything. That’s why... I just want to see some more, travel a bit just so that I can come to my own conclusions about what life is like outside of Button House.”

“I admire your curiosity, Humphrey.” Pat said with a smile, “I think we’d all like to leave Button House at this point. You are right though... Alison and Mike are wonderful people, and they are trying their best, but...”

“There’s a lot for thems to show us?” Mary asked, looking pensive.

“Exactly.” Pat said with a nod.

“What about you?” Humphrey asked, a few seconds later, “What would you do today if you were alive?”

Pat fell silent again, and he looked like he was about to cry. Eventually, he replied, “I would spend more time with my family. Even though Carol... I still love her. I wish I could see my son again. I missed out on so much of his life. I didn’t see him go to school, or get his first job, or get married. I never got to meet my grandson. Apart from that... I just wish I could be a Youth Group Leader again. I enjoyed teaching the young boys under my care how to be good people and... it gave me a lot of satisfaction to see them grow into the people that they were meant to be.”

“...That be a beautiful answers Pat.” Mary said quietly.

“Thank you, Mary.” Pat said fondly.

It was at this point that Julian and the Captain burst into the room, having an argument of some sort. Pat looked at Mary and Humphrey, and the three of them quickly decided to adjourn the Life Club meeting. However, Pat knew that this meeting would be one that he would have to revisit at some point. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To explain the answers each Ghost have:  
> \- Mary, whilst a little eccentric, always came across as slightly humble in the sense that I didn’t think she would have any grandiose dreams, which is why I chose just growing a garden and trying on makeup for her dream.  
> \- Humphrey’s answer is actually a call back to Day 1: Cave (the first of potentially many, many callbacks in this series), and he seems like a curious individual who wants to study further.  
> \- Pat is one of the very few ghosts who is confirmed to have any living relatives. Of course he still wants to see them whilst being a Youth Group Leader.


	6. Day 6: Musket Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas muses about his own demise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, spoilers abound for The Thomas Thorne Affair (S2E4). If you haven’t seen the episode please don’t read ahead unless you want the spoilers.
> 
> Anyways thank you so much for the positive feedback for this fic. I really appreciate all of it. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well!! :)

A bang. A sudden sharp pain

Coursed through my body

Like a small ripple that became

A raging tempest.

I collapsed, and even then

I could feel my life ebb away.

Another flash of pain. Isabelle...

He promised that he’d fetch her,

That I could say my dying words

To the one who had stolen my heart.

Instead, the crowd left, no one came

And alone I faced death’s cruel knell.

Alas, that pain has never ceased

Day after day of this wretched existence

Should have dulled the pain,

The heartbreak that is mine alone

To carry with me as I still exist.

Instead, that pain has only increased.

Cursed be that musket ball,

That cruel bringer of death

That only seeks to rob its victims

Of the time they could have had.

and...

“Curses, what word rhymes with ball and could work in this verse...?” Thomas trailed off, as he paced up and down the corridor, deep in thought. Call? Gall? Rainfall? Yes, those words rhymed but there wasn’t a way of getting one of those words to fit into the last line.

Thomas was stumped.

“You stop.” Thomas turned around, and saw Robin looking at him quizzically.

“Of course I have. I am... just lost for words at the moment.” Thomas admitted sadly, “I cannot get this verse to work.”

“...That not good.” Robin said quietly, after a few seconds, “You thinking about death?”

Thomas nodded weakly, “I am indeed. After... confessing the manner of my own demise to fair Alison, and realising the truth regarding the actions of my traitorous cousin, I needed to compose an epic poem to explain my grief and anger about the downfall my cousin arranged for me. Yet, I find it hard to recount that day without becoming overwhelmed by my own emotions...”

“Downfall.” Robin said quickly.

“Downfall?” Thomas repeated, sounding confused, “Yes, I was telling you about...”

“Musket Ball. Downfall.” Robin said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Thomas looked at Robin, before grinning at the caveman. Yes, that could work and he now had the most extraordinary idea of how to finish the first draft of his poem.

“A thousand thank yous, Robin. Your assistance has been most helpful.” Thomas said dramatically.

“You welcome.” Robin replied, sounding slightly smug. By this point, Thomas had worked out what the final two lines should be for the verse that he was stuck on. He continued quietly, recounting _his_ betrayal.

Cursed be that musket ball,

That cruel bringer of death

That only seeks to rob its victims

Of the time they could have had.

Especially when that disloyal friend

Wants to cause your own downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I haven’t written poetry in like 5+ years and have no idea what possessed me to write a poem (apart from Thomas being a Poet) but I wrote some poetry. :) And Yes, writing poetry in character as Thomas is hard.
> 
> Also Robin canonically does crosswords so he is smart enough to pick out rhyming words.


	7. Day 7: Jewel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Alison have a lazy evening to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh thank you for the views, the kudos, the comments and the bookmark! Y’all are awesome! :D 
> 
> Again, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :)

It was rare these days for Mike and Alison to have time alone to themselves. Either one or the other of them would be working on the house, or working a part time job so that they could afford to work on the house, or organising more weddings...

Or the Ghosts would be in the room with then. Yes, Mike couldn’t _see_ the ghosts, but he knew when they were there by the fact that Alison would get distracted easily, or would look very concerned about something that only she could see. Based on what she told him, the latter often meant that Julian was in the room.

It was wild that a Tory MP actually died in a sex scandal. In this house. Especially because Heather Button was apparently _ok_ with Julian coming into the house in the first place to have sex. How...?

Mike blinked. He was getting distracted. Today, he and Alison had some time to themselves. The Ghosts had been bribed into giving them a bit of space this evening thanks to the Game of Thrones boxset Mike had been given for his birthday. The two of them had then ordered a takeaway and were eating it happily in bed whilst they watched Hot Fuzz on the TV.

“I could get used to this.” Mike said quietly, ignoring the film as he looked at Alison, smiling softly at her, “You... me... once the house has been all done up, we should have a holiday.”

Alison nodded, “We should. Where were you thinking? Paris...? Amsterdam? Oooh, what about Geneva? We haven’t been there before.”

“As long as there aren’t that many ghosts, anywhere is good.” Mike said casually, “Speaking of Ghosts, have I shown you that ghost outfit Ellie is going to wear to the Halloween party?” When Alison shook her head, Mike quickly pulled out his phone and showed her the pictures he had.

“Awww, doesn’t she look adorable!” Alison cooed over the photos. The two of them then continued to talk whilst the film played on in the background, and all the while Mike thought about how lucky he was to have her in his life.

She was his jewel, a brilliant and amazing gem of a woman. She was kind, witty, brave, patient and so determined. Mike admired her for that. She was his North Star that was...

“Mike, are you alright?” Alison asked, sounding concerned, “You just fell...”

“I was just thinking about how incredible you are.” Mike replied, sounding smitten, “I love you so, so much Ali, and I am so lucky to have you in my life.”

“Oh Mike...” Alison said, as she gently kissed his cheek, “I love you too.” She kissed him again, and Mike returned the kiss. And for the rest of the evening, the film was promptly forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike in this chapter asks the one question I have regarding Julian. I’m not interested in how he died. I just want to know how he got Heather’s permission to do.... that in her house. 
> 
> Also did Alison and Mike make a mistake in introducing the Ghosts to Game of Thrones? Probably. I haven’t seen the show myself, and it’s probably not relevant nowadays, but it was the first TV show that came to mind. Fairly confident that Fanny would hate it.
> 
> Mike has one brain cell and it’s dedicated to loving Alison. :)


	8. Day 8: Button House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fanny and Robin reflect on Button House.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this chapter is slightly late, but it is up in time! :)
> 
> Thank you for the positive feedback, y’all are awesome! :) And I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :)

Fanny sat in the garden, staring at Mike as he started planting flowers in the nearest flower patch. She could also see the Halloween decorations that Mike was planning to put up in the garden, still safely contained in their packaging.

On the one hand, Fanny was frustrated that the two of them were decorating the house in such a gaudy fashion just for Halloween, especially since it appeared that the holiday had been commercialised and it’s original meaning had seemingly been long forgotten.

On the other hand... Button House wasn’t really Fanny’s anymore. She was long dead, with Alison’s gift the only reason she had any say in the reconstruction of Button House. The house belonged to them now, yet why could she not accept it?

“You seem sad.” Fanny looked around, and saw Robin sitting on the ground nearby, “What you thinking about?”

“Oh...” Fanny sighed, “I was just thinking about Button House in a sense. On how time has moved on and how it has new owners and yet I...”

“Been here since before House.” Robin interrupted, “Me hunt on these lands. Me live on these lands. Me die on these lands. Yet land still live. New tribes came here. Made land their own. They die on these lands. New tribe came...”

“What’s the point that you are trying to make?” It was Fanny’s turn to interrupt, as she looked at Robin quizzically.

“Point is. House home for many tribes.” Robin continued, “Should be able to home theirs.”

Fanny fell silent, as she continued to watch Mike planting more flowers in the flowers in the flower beds. She loathed to admit it, but Robin was right. After all, this House wasn’t originally hers. She, too, had inherited this place when she married George and she made this house a home too. Then Heather had inherited the house and... left it in the dilapidated state it was in today.

And now Alison and Mike had inherited the estate. Fanny had to admit that, despite their many flaws and their insistence that they wanted to make Button House a hotel, they were doing their best to restore Button House to its former glory, to make this place as beautiful as it deserved to be.

She turned to look at Robin, and she said quietly, “I needed to hear those words today, Robin. You’ve helped to put my mind at ease. Thank you.”

“Glad could help.” Robin smiled a huge toothy grin. Fanny quickly turned away and looked at the grounds of Button House one more time. Maybe, in time, this new Button House could be a home. Not just for her, but the other ghosts who lived here.

If not, then she could always hold onto the memories of her Button House nice and tight and the home she had created would always be with her... and Alison and Mike could enjoy the home that they would create for themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanny probably has the same thoughts about Christmas as well. XD
> 
> Yeah, life is just an infinite amount of cycles, of beginnings and endings, of life and death. Robin, having been a ghost for so long, has probably seen enough cycles to understand this. Robin’s perspective must be so interesting, considering how long he has been ‘alive’. And Fanny hopefully understands that perspective and is ok with Alison and Mike making Button House this house their home. :)


	9. Day 9: Plague

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Plague Ghosts have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some slight spoilers for S2E2, so if you haven’t seen it yet I’d recommend seeing it first. 
> 
> But aaaah thank you all for the feedback. Yes, I know I say it every day but y’all amazing and I hope that you enjoy my next prompt! 😊

“So, now what?” Mick asked quietly, “You decided that you’d rather live down here in the basement with me than up there with the House Ghosts,but...”

“We’re still angry with you.” Mathilda said, as she looked at Mick disapprovingly, “You got us all _killed._ ”

Mick looked at the ground, before mumbling, “I _know_... I said that I’m sorry. I didn’t know until...”

“Right.” Walter said, looking authoritative, “I think this has been going on for long enough. Yes, Mick’s... stupidity caused all of our deaths...”

“Hey!” Mick exclaimed, “I mean, yes, you’re right but I’m right here, you know? Maybe you could be a little... nicer in your criticism?”

Gwenyth rolled her eyes, “You mean to say that you goin’ to London, seeing that people there had the plague, and then deciding that it was a good idea to come back to the Village, bringing the plague with you, should be described as anything _other_ than an act of stupidity?”

“Enough!” Walter shouted again, “What I was going to say is that we cannot just ignore Mick forever. We’ve all we got at this point. At some point, we are going to have to accept Mick back into the fold.”

“Here, here!” John said, nodding at Walter’s words, “We have lived with Mick for almost 700 years and he’s been decent enough. Over time, we can become good friends with him again.”

“I’m... I’m right here, you know.” Mick said quietly, for the second time that night. However, the other ghosts ignored him.

“Plus... the House Ghosts are... interesting...” Nigel said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You can say awful, none of them are here.” Eleanor said with a sigh, “Like that one who called us all unwashed even though he wasn’t wearing any trousers.”

“Oh, he was the _worst_.” Gwyneth said in agreement, “And what about the one with the awful knees? The couple of times I’ve encountered him it seemed like he had a stick lodged up his arse.”

Geoff nodded, “I agree with you there. I like the one who smells like she spent some time in an oven. A little skittish and slightly forgetful, but she’s harmless enough.”

The ghosts all nodded in agreement, before Mathilda said, “The one I find irritating is the melodramatic one that recites ‘poetry’ all the time. Urgh, he keeps me up at night...”

“Oh, I don’t think I could bear to be in a room with _that_ one.” John said, pressing his hands against his forehead, “The man has given me so many headaches over the years...”

“What about the two really ‘friendly’ ones who tried to get to know us when they first died, and then promptly forgot about us? I think they were very rude.” Geoff added, before he fell silent for a second, “Yeah, Mick’s still a lot better than the‘Upstairs Ghosts’...”

The other Plague Ghosts nodded again. Mick smiled, hoping that this would mean that his fellow ghosts would resume talking to him again. Mick stretched out his arms, and offered the ghosts a hug. Walter, and then the rest of the ghosts, pulled him into one large group hug.

Mick’s smile grew wider. Yes, they still had a right to be angry with him, hate him even, but at least they were starting to patch things up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this is OOC, we only see them briefly in each episode. We don’t know what they get up to when Alison isn’t in the basement. Alison also inadvertently taught them modern slang.
> 
> I named Lolly, Katy and Martha’s Ghosts! Lolly’s Ghost is Gwenyth, Katy’s Ghost is Eleanor and Martha’s Ghost is Mathilda. The other Ghosts names have been said on the show. :)
> 
> I spared Fanny in the roasting of the Upstairs Ghosts, simply because I compared her to one of the Witches in Macbeth in Day 4’s prompt. And Robin just never came up.


	10. Day 10: Jemima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pat finds Jemima alone in the Pantry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow we are 1/3rd of the way through October. Time is really flying by. :o So excited for Halloween though.
> 
> Anyways- thank you for the amazing feedback y’all- positive feedback is a staple part of the writer’s diet, after all. ;) I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!

“Ring-a-ring o' roses, A pocket full of posies, A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.” Jemima sang quietly to herself, fiddling with her small stuffed toy as she did so. It was at this point that Pat phased though thePantry door. He had been sent there in order to look for Alison, but instead he found... her.

Jemima _scared_ Pat. Her singing, her general demeanour, her appearance. All of it was nothing short of unsettling. And then there was the matter of those _icy_ glares that she shot at people. It felt like she was staring into his very soul, and judging him for what he had done whilst he was alive.

Pat shuddered. He wanted to get out of the Pantry and quickly so that he could continue looking for Alison. However, as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt guilty.

 _She was a child_. Jemima was a child and yet everyone shunned her because they were afraid of her. Had no one stopped and considered how scared she must be, stuck in this house with no one willing to comfort her? How lonely she must feel because of that? How long had it been since anyone had gone up to her and had just had a simple conversation with her?

Pat gulped, as he sat down opposite Jemima and said, in the friendliest voice he could muster, “Hello!”

“...Hello.” Jemima says quietly, not looking at Pat.

“How are you today?” Pat said cheerfully. She looked down at the ground, refusing to speak as she cuddled with her stuffed toy further. Pat continued, in a much softer tone of voice, “Are you alright?”

“...You don’t need to talk to me. I know you find me scary.” Jemima mumbled. Pat was silenced by this. She knew. She knew that everyone in this house was afraid of her and she had _accepted_ it. What could he even say at this point to make everything even a tiny bit better?

“Just because we find you scary sometimes doesn’t mean that we should ignore you, and I’m sorry if we make you feel unwanted.” Pat said honestly, after a few seconds of careful consideration. “In fact... I’m currently playing a game of hide and seek right now. Alison, the lady that can see us, is hiding, and I’m meant to be seeking. Do you want to help me find her?”

Jemima thought about it for a few seconds, before she slowly nodded. Pat stood up and led her out of the Pantry. Yes, he knew that he would get weird looks from the rest of the ghosts but he was fine with that. Jemima was in the same ‘boat’ as they were, so to speak, and she didn’t deserve to be treated like this. He would speak to the other ghosts and _make_ them understand that.

“I found her!” Jemima said cheerfully, pointing at Alison who was standing in the hallway.

“Thank you Jemima.” Pat smiled at the little plague girl. He quickly caught up with Alison, and explained that the Captain was looking for her. Alison nodded, and thanked Pat before walking away. Once he had done that, he walked back to where Jemima was.

“Can we play again?” She asked quietly, “Can you hide and I seek?”

“Of course!” Pat said quietly. Her face lit up, “Now, you count to 100, and I’ll go hide, ok?”

Jemima nodded, “Ok! 1...2....3...”

Pat started running, trying to find a good hiding spot, feeling good that he was entertaining the little plague girl who spent most of her time alone in the Pantry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pat’s dad instincts kicked in this chapter, and hopefully Jemima gets a lot of fuss in the future. She deserves it. :)
> 
> And yes, Alison is still stressing out about the Halloween party. That’s why it took so long for Pat and Jemima to find her. :)


	11. Day 11: Posh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary wonders what life is like for Posh people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 11 hype! :D Thank you for the positive feedback- you are the best!! :) And I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :)

“So, yous have saids that you’re poshs?” Mary said thoughtfully, looking at Julian intensely, “I have heards many a strange things about being poshs.”

“Oh?” Julian raised an eyebrow at Mary’s remark.

“Is heard that posh peoples regularly eat swan.” Mary replied, looking shocked, “But they are the spawns of Satans... and I thought nones of us were allowed to eat swan...”

Julian nodded, smirking as he realised that he could cause some mischief. “Ah, yes. We could. Only on Fridays though. It was part of a tradition started by good old George... IV.”

“By why would George IVs onlys eat swan on Fridays?” Mary asked.

“You see...” Julian began, “George IV used to have these parties. He would call them... Waterloo Birthday Brunches, and each person in attendance would kill a swan, pluck the feathers and then cook and eat the swan whole. I myself was a very good feather plucker and then what we used to do with the feathers was...”

“Are yous being serious?” Mary interrupted, looking at Julian quizzically.

“Oh, yes I am being serious.” Julian lied, “In fact, Thomas could probably tell you more about them, as he was probably invited to a few of them in his time. Speak of the devil, there he is...”

At that moment Thomas had walked into the library. He looked at both Mary and Julian, bewildered by the fact that they were looking at him expectantly. Eventually, he mumbled, “...What?”

“What be these Waterloo Birthday Brunches?” Mary asked quickly.

“Come again?” Thomas asked, sounding confused before he saw the smug look on Julian’s face. He sighed and asked, “What has Julian been telling you this time Mary?”

“Yous eat swans and pluck the feathers for some reason.” Mary said, sounding sure of herself, “But only on Fridays.”

“That is preposterous!” Thomas said loudly, “I have done no such thing. Waterloo Birthday Brunches are not a real thing. Julian is having you on..,”

“Or you just weren’t popular enough to be invited to one of these Birthday Brunches.” Julian said, smirking at Thomas further, “Which is a shame, considering that they were mighty fun.”

Thomas shook his head, trying to not get too riled up by Julian’s remarks. Eventually, he said calmly, “Julian, yes I understand that the afterlife can be rather dull, but please can you not spread misconceptions about events that do not exist...”

“So... you don’t, or didn’t, eats swan on Fridays then?” Mary asked slowly, after a few seconds of silence. Thomas said no, at the same time Julian enthusiastically said yes. Mary looked even more confused, before she shrugged, “I am going to speaks to Kitty and Fanny and sees what they says about what life is like being posh.”

With that, Mary walked walked out ofthe library in an attempt to find someone else in order to look for clarification. Julian looked at Thomas, and smiled. Thomas glared at Julian before he too walked out of the library.

He had more important things to do, such as finding Kitty so that he could organise another rehearsal...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I think everyone is too used to Julian’s bullshit to not fall for his lies. But the idea of Waterloo Birthday Brunches was entertaining. No swans are harmed in the process of making this chapter.
> 
> What was Julian going to say that they did with the feathers? No idea. I’ll leave it to your imagination. :)
> 
> Also poor Thomas, having to deal with Julian trolling him like that. He had to leave the library, because he had seen too much.


	12. Day 12: Ghost Hunters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty is scared by a Ghost Hunting ‘documentary’ she saw on TV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the positive feedback! :D You all are awesome! I hope that you enjoy the next chapter. :)

Kitty ran through the nearest door, and sat down in the corner of the kitchen, shuddering to herself as she recalled what she saw on the TV. She had seen a group of men dressed in beige... outfits talking about wanting to hunt ghosts. She didn’t like it. What if they come to hunt her, or the other ghosts at Button House? Would Alison be able to stop them if she put in a good word for them?

Kitty hoped that they would listen to Alison if that was the case.

“Kitty? Whatever seems to be the matter?” Fanny asked, sounding concerned.

“Oh, Lady Button! I have seen something terrible!” Kitty said dramatically, “I was in Alison and Mike’s room, and they were watching a... documentary about people who hunt and trap ghosts in these weird boxes of some kind. It was _scary_.”

“...Considering that those... ghost fanatics did not believe that the house was haunted, I think that we are perfectly safe here.” Fanny said, trying to reassure her fellow ghost.

“Oh, but the ones on that programme Alison and Mike were watching seemed a lot more competent. We would be in grave danger if they decided to come to the house, especially if...”

“Would they have any reason to come here though?” Fanny asked, exasperated over Kitty’s increasing panic. It was at this point that Fanny saw Pat enter the room. Fanny looked at him desperately, and said, “Patrick? Please can you talk to Kitty for me? She is worrying about Ghost hunters coming to Button House.”

Pat looked at Fanny, seemingly confused at Fanny’s remark, before he knelt down next to Kitty. He said calmly, “So, tell me about these Ghost Hunters you are scared off.”

Kitty looked up at Pat, as she took a couple of deep breaths, before she explained, “Well... they were wearing these beige outfits, and they had this metal carriage. Oh, they had this weird song that accompanied them! How did it go...? There’s something strange, in the neighbourhood...?”

“Oh, you were watching _Ghostbusters_!” Pat exclaimed, finally understanding what Kitty was going on about, “It’s a film that was released shortly before, well... you know...” Pat sheepishly pointed at the arrow sticking out of his neck.

“A...film, you say?” Fanny asked sceptically.

Pat nodded, “Yes! Ghostbusters is a work of fiction. Don’t worry, they won’t be coming to hunt us down in the middle of the night.”

“Are... you sure Pat?” Kitty asked, still sounding a little worried.

Pat nodded again, “I am sure. And if they do come... I’ll protect you.”

“Oh, thank you Pat!” Kitty said warmly, hugging Pat, “I am glad for the reassurance.” Fanny also looked at Pat, and smiled at him. Pat could tell that Fanny also appreciated the assistance. Kitty continued, “At some point, can we watch this Ghostbusters as part of film club? I would feel safer if I was watching it with everyone.”

“Of course we can!” Pat said cheerfully, looking at Fanny. After a few seconds, Fanny nodded. Pat added, “I’ll let the others know and then we’ll find time to watch it together.”

Kitty’s smile grew wider, before she stood up. She felt a lot safer thanks to Fanny and Pat’s words, and was looking forward to watching this film in the future with the other Ghosts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Ghostbusters actually was released a couple of months before Pat died. The film was released in the Spring/Summer of 1984, and Pat died on October 24th, 1984 (Source: S1E3 and Mike’s Ghost Board). I looked this up just to make sure I could tell this joke and have it be semi-canon. :)
> 
> As for how Kitty hasn’t seen the film before? Well, Heather Button was a recluse and there are a lot of films. Pat probably didn’t mention to the other Ghosts either. Probably because doing so would have been in bad taste.
> 
> After this incident, Alison and Mike stop watching anything to do with Ghost Hunters on TV, in case this misunderstanding happens again.


	13. Day 13: Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin reflects by the lake edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gods we’ve just got 1000 views :o Holy moly y’all are awesome!!!! Thank you so much for everything- I really appreciate it.
> 
> I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!! :)

Robin eventually found himself by the lake edge, lost in thought. He felt... lonely today. It was getting closer to his death day, and he just needed to get away from his fellow ghosts and just _think_.

He gazed at the lake, memories of when he was alive coming back to him. His tribe had built a... village on the other side of the lake. He remembered lazy days catching fish with his brothers and sisters, and then they would cook what they had caught over the fire and eat it. After that, they would look at the moon and the stars before they went to sleep.

He missed them. They moved on. He stayed. Others came and went. He still stay.

“I say, Robin.” The Captain said quietly, as he sat down next to Robin, “Are you... alright?”

“No.” Robin admitted, avoiding eye contact with the Captain.

“Do you want to talk about it? What is on your mind, I mean?” The Captain asked. Robin shook his head. The Captain nodded, and added, “Do you mind if I sit here then? I just wanted to think to myself also.”

Robin nodded, and the Captain sat down a short distance away from where Robin was sitting. Robin ignored the Captain for a while, looking at the water again. He remembered swimming in the lake, back when the house hadn’t been built. He had played a prank on his brothers and sisters, hiding under the water, and jumping out at them when they got close. It was a good day. He had... died shortly after that, and he watched his tribe grieve for him, but eventually they moved on and life went back to normal.

“Hey, Cap.” Robin said quietly.

“Yes, Robin?” The Captain asked, sounding concerned.

“Why do we stay?” Robin inquired, looking down at the ground.

The Captain fell deathly silent, as he thought about Robin’s question carefully. Was it because they had regrets in their past lives? If that was the case, surely there should be more ghosts here at Button House? And what regrets would a pigeon have? Was it because they were bad people? That couldn’t be it either. Apart from, well, Julian, they all seemed to be just average people. And again, why had the pigeon stayed? Maybe they had been cursed? The Captain rejected that explanation quickly. Eventually, he reluctantly replied, “I don’t know.”

“Makes sense.” Robin said sadly, staring at the lake again. He told Fanny that the land moved on, despite their deaths, and that new tribes came and made the land theirs. He had seen many of those tribes move on after that. Would his new ‘tribe’ move on too one day? Would Thomas, Cap, Kitty and the others move on like Annie did, leaving him behind?

Robin sighed to himself. Maybe they would. Maybe _he_ would. He didn’t know... what he knew was that he should take things day by day. Not focus on future. Not dwell on past. Exist in present.

He smiled weakly, as he got up, and looked at the Captain. It seemed that he wanted to be left alone, to dwell in his own thoughts without being disturbed as well. Robin understood that. He had been along enough times to know when someone needed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robin needs hugs. So many hugs. He has seen so much and seen so many people be allowed to move on and yet he is stuck here. :( 
> 
> As for the question Robin asks the Cap, I have no idea what the answer is nor do I really want the question to be answered in the show itself. I’m not sure how to explain why either. Some of the Cap’s theories are stuff I’ve seen floating around in the fandom, others are common explanations for why ghosts stay put.


	14. Day 14: Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humphrey resolves a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the awesome feedback!!! :D I really appreciate it!!! :)
> 
> Anyways I hope that you all enjoy the next chapter!! :)

Humphrey hates it when the other ghosts fought. He was often stuck in the room with _them_ , unable to move as his more argumentative ghostly companions traded harsh words and sometimes even harsher blows. He even remembered one time that Julian was knocked _unconscious_ during one fight, which Humphrey didn’t even think was possible.

He didn’t even know what had started the most recent argument. All he knew what that Thomas and Fanny has barged into the library and were shouting loudly at each other. He sighed, trying to tune out the argument as he read the book on the French Revolution he was working through.

“Well... you can work on your poetry, _Thorne._ ” Fanny said, glaring at the Regency poet, “However... please can you work on your poetry at a more reasonable hour of the day? You have kept me up for the past two nights and...”

Thomas shook his head, and said passionately, “I’ll have you know that I am an artist, and I have to work on my poetry when my muse strikes me with inspiration. Last night I had the most...”

“But did you have to work on it _right_ next to my bedroom, Thomas?” Fanny challenged Thomas. Thomas was about to say something when she interjected, “And before you start blathering on about your muse again, you have limbs and the ability to walk. You could have taken yourself anywhere else in this house to work on your ‘poetry’.”

“She’s right, you know.” Humphrey said, finally getting tired of their fight. Fanny and Thomas looked at Humphrey, and he could tell that Fanny looked guilty about her remark. Humphrey continued, “Thomas, you can work on your poetry whenever you would like to. However, if you want to work on your poetry late at night, perhaps consider working away from anyone’s bedrooms? That way, no one will be shouting at you the next morning, giving you more time to work on your poetry. Deal?”

“....That sounds reasonable.” Thomas said, pouting a little as he mulled over Humphrey’s words, “I shall do that in the future. Thank you.”

“Indeed, Humphrey. Thank you for the assistance.” Fanny said, glaring at Thomas in a ‘let this fight be resolved’ kind of way. Thomas nodded, before he walked out of the room, with Fanny following closely behind.

With them gone, Humphrey looked back at his book, and continued reading from where he had left off. Though... this Guillotine seemed rather dangerous, didn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanny was raised in the Victorian era and if I remember correctly saying the word legs was impolite which is why she refers to Thomas’ legs as limbs.
> 
> Initially Humphrey was going to be reading a book on Charles I, but because he’s probably finished that book by now I chose the French Revolution to maintain the beheading joke. :)
> 
> Humphrey always seems like a voice of reason everytime he’s on the show so he was the best bet to resolve the argument. :)


	15. Day 15: Gooseberries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alison bakes a Gooseberry Pie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh thank you for the positive feedback! I know I say that every day, but I mean it every day. You all are awesome. :)
> 
> I hope that you enjoy the next chapter and we’ve hit the half way point in Ghostober (pretty much). :)

“Right, I just need to take the Gooseberry pie out of the oven and then...” Alison said quietly to herself, as she grabbed a pair of oven gloves. She knelt down beside the oven, opening the door as she maintained a safe distance. After all, the oven tended to release a lot of steam when the door was opened. Once she knew that it was safe, she pulled out the pie tray and placed it gently on the Kitchen counter, “There. Now to test...”

“Oh, hello Alison!” Alison turned around, and saw Pat and Julian step into the kitchen. Pat continued cheerfully, “I’ve seen that you’ve been baking.”

Alison nodded, “I have yes. Fanny gave me the recipe and I decided to try it out. Though I had to adjust the cooking time due to the oven being different...”

Julian stood next to the pie, and took a giant sniff. He said quickly, “Smells good Ali.”

“Thank you.” Alison said quietly, before she looked at the two ghosts, with a look of confusion on her face, “Wait... you two still have your sense of smell?”

“Yeah... weird innit?” Julian said, “We can’t eat or drink anything, and yet we can still smell the food you prepare. It’s just like the myth of Tantalus... the afterlife can be cruel sometimes.”

“Tantalus?” Alison asked. The name sounded familiar, but she could not work out where she knew the name from.

“Tantalus. The guy who was trapped in a lake by the Greek Gods, without the ability to eat or drink, even though both were in reach. All because he tried to make the gods eat his own son.” Julian explained. When the others looked at him sceptically, he exclaimed, “I have a _First_ from Cambridge. Not been that useful since, you know, I died but I know what I’m talking about.”

Pat nodded, still looking at Julian cautiously, before he decided to change the topic. “So, what brought this on, Alison?”

“Well, Mike would like me to make a Pumpkin Pie for the Halloween Party, but I haven’t baked that many pies before. I just wanted to get some practice in before I try.” Alison replied, “Plus we do have a lot of gooseberries, so I needed to use them up.”

Pat nodded, “That’s fair enough. Judging from the pie itself, it looks like you’ve done a very good job.”

Alison smiled, “Thank you Pat.”

“You’re welcome.” Pat smiled, before he uncharacteristically looked at Alison seriously. She looked at him, worried that she had said or done something that made him upset. Eventually, he continued, “Hey, Alison.”

“Yes, Pat?” Alison asked, sounding slightly concerned.

Pat’s mouth twitched nervously, before he said, “Well, yes, I know that we’re all dead and cannot eat anything but... please can you bake more often? It’s just that... it smells really nice and it reminds us of... when we were alive.”

“Oh yes. Perhaps you could cook a Pheasant, with all the trimmings. Oooh, and maybe a trifle to go with that.” Julian said cheerfully, fiddling with his tie as he did so. Alison looked at him, with an unimpressed expression on her face.

“I... don’t know how to make Pheasant but... if you want me to make you something that you liked eating when you were alive I can do that.” Alison said quietly, before immediately adding, “ _As_ long as it’s something that I can reasonably make.”

“ _Thank you_ , Alison.” Pat said warmly, “I appreciate it.”

“I’ll let the others know.” Julian added, with a wink, “Let them have a chance to make suggestions as well.”

Alison nodded, as the two Ghosts left the kitchen. Once they had gone,Alison turned and looked back at the Gooseberry pie she had just made. She quickly grabbed a knife and stuck it into the pie, before pulling it out.

It was properly cooked. Alison smiled. She should let Fanny know that she had tried out the recipe and see if she approved of her attempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of the hardest prompts to come up with an idea for and hopefully I did it justice. :) Not much of a baker myself so I just winged terminology.
> 
> Tantalus is an actual Greek myth, and before you asked Tantalus’ son was brought back to life. I hc that Julian could have studied Classics at school/uni so probably knows a lot.
> 
> I gave the Ghosts a sense of smell in this series because of one line in S2E2. No idea if that like was a joke or not, so I’m taking that line completely seriously. 
> 
> Poor Alison is going to be given a lot of recipes in the next few days. XD


	16. Day 16: Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty and Mary talk about Weddings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light spoilers for Perfect Day (S2E6) included in this prompt. Caution is advised.
> 
> Also omg thank you for the positive feedback! You all are great!! :) I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!! :)

Kitty was excited. Alison and Mike had another wedding booking lined up which would take place shortly after the Halloween party that they were hosting. Kitty hadn’t been when she was alive or dead but she _loved_ weddings. The decorations, the reception parties held afterwards, the love she could feel between the two couples. Weddings were _so_ fun.

Kitty was sad that she had died _before_ she had gotten married though. She always knew what she wanted her own wedding to be like. She wanted to wear an extravagant wedding dress, and have a carriage drawn by four white horses. The wedding would have taken place in the local church, with a string quartet playing a wedding march as her father walked her down the aisle.

She sighed, enjoying her day dream. If only it could have become a reality...!

“You be alrights, Kitty?” Mary asked quietly, as she walked into the room, “Yous be thinking deeply by that here windows.”

“I was just thinking about what I would have liked my own wedding to have been like, had I actually gotten married.” Kitty said, smiling at Mary, before a thought struck her.“Oh! You told Alison that you had been married, back when you were alive. What was it like?”

Mary fell quiet, as she reflected back on her own wedding, smiling whistfully as she did so, “I was... happys. Yes, we didn’t follows all the traditions, but we was happys. I remembers it well. I borrowed the garters and the dress from a friends of mine. We gots married in our local churches and the whole villages showed up to wish us their best wishes. It was... one of the best days of my life.”

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, Mary.” Kitty replied cheerfully, “I am glad that you had a wonderful day.”

The two of them fell quiet, before Mary asked, “Sos, if yous had been married, what would you have liked your own weddings to be like?”

Kitty eagerly launched into a very detailed explanation of what she wanted her own dream wedding to be like, with Mary looking increasingly exasperated as Kitty kept on adding even more details and making her dream wedding even more elaborate. When Kitty had finished, Mary said, “Thats be a very beautiful weddings, Kitty. I’m sads that you never got to have your dream weddings.”

“It’s perfectly alright Mary.” Kitty replied reassuringly, “At least we still get to see the weddings that take place in Button House, and that Alison allows us to take place in the festivities.”

“Yes, I be glads that we gets to see the weddings, even if traditions have changed since we was alives.” Mary nodded in agreement.

Kitty nodded happily, flapping her arms excitedly, “Oooh, I might go and speak to Alison and ask her what the wedding is going to be like and ask her for details about the couple. I will see you later!”

“Sees you laters.” Mary said slowly, but by this point Kitty had _gone_ , presumably to find Alison and grill her for further details. Speaking of Alison... Pat had told her that Alison was looking for her. Mary quickly left, hoping to find Alison before Kitty did.

After all, Kitty would probably be asking Alison questions and borrowing her for _hours_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun one to write. Kitty and Mary probably have such different ideas of what weddings are like and it was fun to play around with that. I can imagine Kitty would love a more extravagant wedding whereas Mary would want something more personal. Both are valid approaches and as long as everyone’s happy that’s good :)
> 
> Also this oneshot kinda ends in a cliffhanger. Why does Alison want Mary? You will find out tomorrow. ;)


	17. Day 17: Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alison has a surprise for Mary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt makes more sense if you have read my Day 5: Modern prompt. If you haven’t read it yet, I would recommend doing so. 😊
> 
> Anyways holy moly you all are awesome! Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it!! I hope that you all enjoy the next prompt! 😊😊

A few hours later, Mary had finally found Alison. Well, she _had_ actually found Alison very quickly, busy. Firstly she was answering a myriad of questions Kitty had regarding the wedding, then Thomas wanted to recite poetry to her, then Julian wanted her, then Robin....

The point was she had finally found Alison alone.

“Yous was looking for me?” Mary asked quickly, before another one of the ghosts decided to ‘borrow’ Alison.

“Oh yes. There’s something that I want to show you.” Alison said warmly, “Though... please can you close your eyes first? I just want it to be a surprise.”

“Sures. I can close my eyes.” Mary said, as she did what Alison asked. Once she had closed her eyes, Alison started leading Mary though the house, and with each step, Mary grew more and more curious. What did Alison want to show her? She tried to wrack her brains, but nothing came to mind.

Eventually, Alison came to a halt. Mary could tell that she was outside, but where outside she was, she couldn’t say. After a few seconds of silence, Alison said calmly, “You can open your eyes now Mary.”

Mary opened her eyes.

She could see a small garden in front of her. Nothing had been planted, but Mary could smell the recently dug up earth. Mary guessed that Mike and Alison had created this recently, but she was still confused as to why Alison was so eager to show her this garden. Eventually, Mary asked, “So, what be this gardens for?”

Alison fell quiet for a second, before she replied, “Pat mentioned this to me, but he said that you liked gardening, and that you would love to have a garden. Well... it isn’t much but we wanted to make a small garden for you. We haven’t planted anything yet, but we wanted your input...”

Mary stared at the garden, and then at Alison, and then at the garden again. She was stunned. She never thought Alison and Mike would do something like this for her, but... she didn’t even know what to say in the presence of such a gift. She felt phantom tears trickling down her cheeks.

“You alright?” Alison asked, looking at Mary, “If you...”

“I is good. I loves it. Thank yous, Alison. Thank you so much.” Mary said, wishing that she could hug Alison for everything that she had done today.

“Pat also helped.” Alison added, “But you’re welcome.”

“I needs to thank Pat laters, and I’ll have to think about what I wants to grow in this gardens.” Mary said softly, “Let me finds Pat and then I’ll thinks more.”

Alison nodded, “Ok, Mary. I’m glad that you really like the garden though.”

“I really dos.” Mary said, with a small smile on her face, before she headed back into the house. She didn’t know where Pat was, but she needed to thank him as well, and maybe find a way to return the favour.

Maybe... she would have to grow something in this garden for him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly- don’t worry. The other ghosts get gifts like this from Alison and Mike also. There is no favouritism in this household.
> 
> But this one shot came about because, after I wrote Day 5: Modern, I saw this prompt and thought that Pat was a nice enough guy to make the suggestion to Alison. :) 
> 
> Yup Pat was the one who told Mary that Alison was looming for her. He was being sneaky there ;).


	18. Day 18: Moroccan Tea Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty has a question for Alison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow. We hit 1,500 views. Oh my goodness. :o Thank you everyone. You are literally the best! :D 
> 
> I hope that you all enjoy the next chapter and, despite the prompt title I think it’s SFW? :)

“Oh Alison!” Kitty said cheerfully, bumping into Alison on the stairs. She had just finished rehearsing Macbeth with Thomas for the day, and she now wanted to spend some time with her best friend.

“Hey Kitty.” Alison looked at Kitty warmly, as she stopped moving in order to have a chat with the Georgian ghost. “How are you doing today?”

“I am doing very well, thank you for asking.” Kitty said cheerfully, “And how are you doing this fine afternoon Alison?”

“I’m good... stressed about the Halloween party a bit though. It’s only 13 days away, but we have so much left to do before... we’ll manage though.” Alison said, trailing off as she fiddled with her wedding ring, “That reminds me... I need to get the Pumpkins in a couple of days and then carve them...”

“Don’t stress out about it, I am sure that the Party will be wonderful.” Kitty said, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, “I haven’t been to a Halloween Party before, especially as they weren’t a huge thing in my day, so your Halloween Party will be the best Halloween party I have ever seen.”

“Thanks Kitty...” Alison said, not sounding reassured.

“Speaking of Parties, I hope that you can enlighten me on something...” Kitty looked at Alison expectantly, “Julian keeps on talking about these so called Moroccan Tea Parties, but none of the other ghosts will tell me what they are. I was hoping that you’d know.”

Oh... Alison was going to _kill_ Julian later. Wait... that wasn’t possible. Never mind. Alison fell quiet for a few seconds, before she replied with a lie, “They are a special kind of tea party. I think they... there’s a unique way of pouring and serving the tea? I’ll have to look it up at some point...”

Kitty replied, “Oh, once you know more, you’ll have to invite me to a Moroccan Tea Party. Even if I can’t drink the tea, I would love to just enjoy the experience.”

Alison nodded. Of course Kitty would. Great... now she had to invent a... less saucy version of a Moroccan Tea Party. Whilst trying to organise a Halloween Party. And a wedding. “I can’t make any promises, but once Halloween and the Wedding are sorted, I’ll see what I can do.”

Kitty beamed at Alison, “Oh, Thank you so much, Alison. I am so looking forward to our Moroccan Tea Party. Especially because I would love to spend time with you and see how the tea is served.”

Oh no. Every time she uttered the phrase ‘Moroccan Tea Party’, Alison could feel a small part of her just die inside. What else had Julian been telling her? Alison needed to ask Julian some... further questions. Eventually, Alison spluttered, “...Same here, Kitty.”

With a wave, Kitty thanked Alison again and walked down the stairs, presumably looking forward to this so called ‘Moroccan Tea Party’. Alison, meanwhile, walked up the stairs, with the express desire to find a _certain_ ghost and... have a few polite words with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was writing Alison’s embarrassment entertaining? Yes. Was trying to find a way of writing a SFW prompt for today hard? Yes. Especially because Moroccan Tea Party now has a Urban Dictionary entry, which I will say don’t look up if you want to keep a shread of innocence. 
> 
> Don’t worry, Alison does find a way of making a less saucy Moroccan Tea Party. She also tells off Julian in the process.
> 
> Kitty’s comment about not being to a Halloween Party was based on a) Kitty having a sheltered upbringing, b) Heather Button being a recluse and c) changing traditions.


	19. Day 19: Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain has a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Blood, mention of corpses, nightmares. Please be careful if you read this chapter, I want everyone to be ok. 🥺
> 
> Anyways, with this chapter, we hit 10,000 words? :o Thank you all for the positive feedback and all the views! I’m really glad that you like it. :) Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter. :)

The Captain rarely dreamed. Even when he was alive, he tended to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and he would wake up the next morning, with no recollection of what he had dreamt the previous night.

However... tonight was different.

_He was in Button House, hiding under a set of stairs as he heard the German soldiers quickly heading down the staircase. Every single footstep made his heart beat just a smidgen faster. What if they checked under the stairs? What if they found him? What if...?_

_He heard someone mutter in German. A response in German. A bang. A scream._

_The Captain could then hear footsteps retreating up the stairs, and then everything went deathly quiet. The Captain released a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding, as he mentally started counting up to 20. 1...2...3..._

_Eventually, he reached 20. It was still quiet. The coast was clear. The Captain got up slowly, making sure that his creaking knees didn’t give him away, before he walked down the corridor and towards the dining room._

_He could smell the blood before he saw the bodies. The first bodies he saw were of his family, and then all of the soldiers under his command. He didn’t realise that he was walking through a large pool of blood, as his gaze suddenly stopped on Haver’s body. No... not him too._

_As he ran up to Haver’s body, he suddenly stopped as he saw more bodies. Ones that were very familiar. He saw Robin... and Humphrey and Mary and... Katherine and thomasandfannyandpatrickandjulianand... And Alison and Michael. The Captain’s knees gave out on him as he collapsed onto the floor, as he desperately fought the urge to cry._

_He was their commanding officer, and he had failed them. He had been killed whilst he hid. He was nothing more than coward. He..._

Woke up.

The Captain sat up rigidly in bed, and he took a few unsteady breaths in order to clear his thoughts. It wasn’t working. Every time he breathed, the images of his loved ones deaths grew more _vivid_. He couldn’t go back to sleep like this. With a sigh, the Captain got up and left his room. Maybe a late night stroll would help wonders.

It seemed that the Captain wasn’t the only one who needed to go for a late night stroll, as the Captain bumped into Thomas as he entered the library. Thomas was pacing up and down the room, seemingly unaware that the Captain had entered.

The Captain coughed politely. Thomas jumped, before looking at the Captain. The Captain said calmly, “Good evening, Thorne. I see that you are up late at night.”

“Of course I am. I... could not sleep and was working on my poetry to pass the time.” Thomas said dramatically, before he smirked, “Oh, but I can say the same for you as well. It is most unusual to see you up so late.”

“I... was just doing evening rounds.” The Captain said, trying to hide the real reason for his late night stroll from the regency poet, “I was checking up on everyone to see...”

“Well, as you can tell I am mostly alright, apart from the fact that I need to commit my nightmares into verse.” Thomas interrupted, “Your war is over. You do not need to act like my ‘commanding officer’, bossing is around and making sure that we all follow the rules. For crying out loud, we are dead...”

As Thomas continued talking, the Captain saw the bullet wound in Thomas’ chest, and the blood that stained his waistcoat. It suddenly felt like he was zoning out, as the Captain started reliving the nightmare he had earlier.

For a split second, he had even forgotten that Thomas had been killed in a duel, as he could just imagine the Germans...

The Captain suddenly felt himself being shaken back into reality, as Thomas looked at him with concern in his eyes, “Are you alright, Captain? You seem... more unsettled than you usually are.”

The Captain took a deep breath and then shook his head. He muttered, “I had.. I had a nightmare where... you were all dead because I failed in my duty as a commanding officer. When you...”

“I apologise if my words caused you to be distressed.” Thomas said sincerely, as he walked towards one of the library chairs, gesturing for the Captain to sit down. He complied, ignoring his creaky knees as Thomas sat down next to him. Thomas continued, “In a sense, being stuck in our nightmares and our pasts is the hardest part of our state of existence. We are both trapped in the trappings of our former lives. You are reliving the war in which you fought and died in. I am stuck obsessing over my poetry and my lost loves... yet, there has to be more to us than that. I, for example, loved to dance when I was alive, and I loved leading lovely ladies and dashing gentlemen across many a dance floor.”

“...What are you trying to say, Thorne?” The Captain asked quietly.

“I am trying to offer you a distraction, to quieten the thoughts that disturb you so.” Thomas said softly, “However, I am curious. What else do you enjoy, aside from the military?”

The Captain fell silent, wondering how to answer Thomas’ question, before he knew what he wanted to say. He said quietly, “I always enjoyed a spot of musical theatre. I wasn’t much of a singer, but the acting and the act of putting on costumes was jolly fun.”

Thomas stared at the Captain in shock for a second, before he started asking further questions about musical theatre. The Captain then discussed his love for Gilbert and Sullivan and Thomas made a mental note to ask Alison to show him some of their work later. They then both reflected on their love of Shakespeare, and Thomas even managed to rope the Captain into the performance of Macbeth.

Eventually though, the two of them grew tired, and they started making their way back to their own bedrooms. However, before Thomas left, the Captain said quietly, “You know what, Thomas?”

“What is it, Captain?” Thomas asked.

“I would like to discuss the theatre and acting again with you in the future. I enjoyed this evening.” The Captain replied honestly. Thomas smiled, before the Captain wished him goodnight and finally went to his room.

He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. No further nightmares haunted him that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hugs Cap.* Yeah, nightmares like this are terrifying to experience. I tried to keep everything as vague as I could, but it was very hard to write the nightmare. 
> 
> If Thomas and/or the Captain are OOC in this chapter this chapter does take place at roughly 2-3am so they are very sleep deprived and also a little more open to having honest conversations. I do also ship the Captain and Thomas. I did not write this prompt as a ship fic, but you can take it that way if you want to. 
> 
> Finally- the Captain’s love of musical theatre is a headcanon I have based on S1E2. Thomas’ love of dance is based on S2E2. And yup, the Captain was roped into Macbeth as well. And that answers Kitty’s question as to who the third Witch will be.


	20. Day 20: Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pat reflects on his own family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, we are 2/3rds of our way though October pretty much. :o This month is really flying by quickly. 
> 
> Thank you all for the wonderful feedback. Y’all great and I need to remind you how great you are every day. :D Anyways I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!! :D

“Yeah, we’ve been taking it easy today.” Mike said casually, as he reclined on the sofa in the living room, “Made some progress in renovating T... one of the bedrooms in the East Wing, but apart from that we’ve just been decorating the house for Halloween. Anyways, how are you? How’s the family?”

“Oh yeah, everything’s good on our end. Ellie is looking forward to seeing her favourite uncle.” An unfamiliar voice could be heard on the other end of the phone, “I’m also looking Button House for the first time. I’ve seen the pictures and I want to see what it looks like now that you’ve been renovating it.”

“It’s lookin’... better.” Mike smiled, “And tell Ellie that I’m looking forward to seeing her as well. She has gotten so big since I last saw her.” Mike continued chatting with the person on the other end of the phone. Pat guessed that it was one of Mike’s relatives, as he listened in to his call.

It was times like this that Pat missed his own family. He missed Carol, he missed his son and he was still upset that he would never get to watch his grandson grow up. He had said as much back in the Life Club meeting that he had with Mary and Humphrey a couple of weeks ago.

Pat felt rude for intruding. Yes, Mike couldn’t see him unlike Alison, but it was still _personal_ stuff. If Mike wanted the ghosts to know about his family, he would have allowed Alison to tell them everything. Yet, apart from the uncle who had a stroke and died, they knew very little about Mike’s family. Well... they would know more when Mike’s family came over to celebrate Halloween with them.

Pat nodded, before he left the room. He found himself wondering aimlessly, and he eventually found himself in Thomas’ usual sighing spot. The poet wasn’t in there for once, so Pat sat down and began thinking to himself.

What would Carol be getting up to at this very moment? Had she already put up the Halloween decorations? After all, she always liked putting them up early. Or would she be getting ready to visit Button House with Morris and the rest of their family, like they did every Death Day? And would it be baby Pat’s first or second Halloween? Would Daley be dressing up his son in some ridiculous Halloween outfit? Pat had always loved that part of Halloween...

He sighed, remembering dressing up Daley for his first Halloween. It was the year that The Empire Strikes back came out, and he and Carol had dressed up as Han Solo and Princess Leia respectively. Daley, who was only 5 months old at the time, was dressed up in a Chewbacca costume Pat had made himself. It wasn’t the best costume, but it was the thought that counted. The three of them then went over to Carol’s parents for a small party. It was a good day.

In the end, Pat only had 4 Halloweens with Daley before he died in Button House. He wish that he could have had more.

“If times are tough, always find light in the darkness.” Pat muttered to himself, as he realised that he was feeling down. He had often said that to the young boys in his care. Find the light in the darkness... and maybe you’ll find something that can give you a little bit of happiness.

Pat smiled. He wasn’t alone! He had the other ghosts... and Alison and Mike! They could create their own Halloween traditions together! Maybe watch a few scary films... or take part in Halloween games. Just _something_ to commemorate Halloween.

With renewed vigour, Pat marched out of the room. He would find the Captain and ask him if he would help Pat organise something for Halloween.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike returns! He hasn’t shown up in 13 days... mainly because it’s kinda hard to write scenes with him in as he can’t see the Ghosts. Ah well, I do enjoy writing him though. :) And Yes, Mike nearly said Thomas’ bedroom. Alison is really rubbing off on him.
> 
> *Hugs Pat*. Yes, this fic also ended up being a follow up for Day 5: Modern. And I feel so sorry for Pat, especially because his missed so much of his son’s life and never got to meet his Grandson. Hopefully though, he and the other ghosts can create their own traditions as well. :) 
> 
> The Empire’s Strikes back came out in 1980 and Pat actually died on the 27th October, not the 24th October which I mistakenly said in the Author’s notes on Day 12- I was rereading the Ghosts board on Tom Kingsley’s twitter and realised that I misread it. My apologies.


	21. Day 21: Margot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julian reflects on his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Self-Loathing and self hating thoughts. Please be careful if you read this chapter, as I said in Day 19, I want everyone to be ok. 🥺
> 
> Ahhhh thank you for the positive feedback everyone! :) You are awesome, and I can’t believe that there are only 10 days left until Halloween! This month is going very, very quickly. :o
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter.

Julian fiddled with his wedding ring, as he sat down on the flight of stairs nearest his own room. Today... was Margot’s birthday. God, how old was she now? 55? 56? Julian had spent so damn long in this house that he was losing track of what year it was.

He wondered what she’d be doing today. Would she be celebrating it alone? Or had she found some other lover to celebrate it with? It was probably the latter, she had never come to visit _him_ or the House since he died. It was almost as if she had forgotten him.

That was the worst part of being dead, wasn’t it? Being forgotten, as everyone moved on from your death. Margot, all of his ‘friends’, the Conservative party... all of them had moved on, whilst Julian was _stuck_ here, doomed to be just a distant memory in everyone’s minds. Well, apart from his sex scandal and death. _That_ would never be forgotten. That was his legacy after all.

Maybe he deserved it. He’d spent long enough here reflecting on his life to realise that he was a shitty person. He’d only entered politics as politics offered money, status and power. He had lied a lot, he had betrayed enough people to paint his road to power red with blood. He had _hurt_ some of the people he actually cared about. Including...

He wasn’t going to beat about the bush. He had been unfaithful in their marriage. He had loved her, and yet... he had cheated on her so many times that he had _lost count_ of how many times he had made love to random strangers, of how many sex parties he had been to, of how many...

Yeah, no wonder she had never come to visit. She probably hated him for what he’d done. He was a bad husband, a bad friend and a... bad politician. Maybe that was the reason his legacy was the reason for his death. Because there was _nothing_ good to celebrate about his own life. He hadn’t done any good in the political sphere. He wasn’t a philanthropist. He hadn’t saved any lives. His own life was consumed by greed, by lust, by _lies_ , and it took becoming a ghost to realise how _meaningless_ his life was.

Do you know what the worst part was? He probably wouldn’t be believed if he admitted how much he hated himself and his damned legacy. Only a few days ago, he’d lied to Mary about being posh was like after all. No one would believe him he admitted how vulnerable, how _lonely_ he truly felt. They’d think that it was a ploy, that he was luring them into a false sense of security before he did something stupid. They were right to think that.

And even if they believed him... could Julian tell them the truth? For... as long as he could remember, he had been taught that being honest was a weakness, that the only way he could get ahead in life was by lying, by pretending he was strong. It was a habit that Julian struggled to break, even in death, and Julian _hated_ that.

Again, he deserved it. He’d already made his bed of nails. Now he just had to accept that and lie in it.

Julian stood up, and gave himself a pep talk. He was... a respected politician with a First from Cambridge. He could do this. He smiled weakly to himself, as he walked down the stairs, ready to go about his day. And, hopefully, none of the ghosts would find out about... this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt was the prompt that scared me the most on the Ghostober prompt list. I knew that I would have to write Julian, and Julian is probably my least favourite Ghost. He’s a good character... he’s just not a good person. I almost considered changing the prompt to ‘Alive’, but in the end I knew that I had to write this chapter.
> 
> I actually felt bad for Julian when writing this chapter, and I’m now half convinced that he acts like an arsehole simply because he’s trying to hide his own weaknesses. If that’s the case, I kinda hope that one day he can learn to let people in and be more open. Despite the fact that he brought a lot on it on himself.
> 
> And yup, Julian makes a callback to Day 11: Posh in his own thoughts.


	22. Day 22: Haunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humphrey is stuck in one of his usual haunting spots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg we are almost on 2,000 views! :o Thank you all for the positive feedback, especially for the feedback to Day 21: Margot! I was not expecting that feedback, and I’m really glad that you enjoyed that chapter! :)
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the next prompt! :)

Sometimes, Humphrey struggled with his envious thoughts.

He _wished_ that he could affect the world in the same way that some of the other ghosts could. Like Robin, with the lights, or Julian, with the cups. He would like to be able to haunt _something_ , even if it was something small. Like, haunting the taps or something.

He couldn’t really do much in his ghostly form either. His body liked to go for long walks around the house, often ignoring his head completely. Hadn’t he spent three days locked up in the attic in 1712 because his head had left him up there and had gone for a walk, not telling the other ghosts where the head was. In the end, it took Robin going up there to find him. He often ended up stuck in places, only able to watch from a distance as the other ghosts got involved in various shenanigans.

Maybe that was why he enjoyed being treated like a football so much. A weirdly ghostly football that talked, but a football nevertheless. Yes, it hurt to be kicked around, and yes he often got stuck in even weirder places afterwards, but at least the other ghosts were _seeing_ him and acknowledging his existence for once.  
  
“Humphrey.” Humphrey tried to look up, as he heard Robin’s voice getting closer towards him, “You want move?”

“Why, yes actually. I have been staring at this wall for three hours and I would like to go somewhere else.” Humphrey admitted. He suddenly felt himself being picked up, as Robin held onto him tightly.

“Where you want to go?” Robin asked quickly.

“Maybe the garden, though if you see my body around please can you reattach me?” Humphrey replied politely. Robin grunted, acknowledging Humphrey’s words. Humphrey could then see and feel himself being moved as the caveman left the room. Humphrey allowed himself to relax, as he listened to everything that was going on in the house. 

Alison and Mike were busy discussing further Halloween preparations before the party in 9 days time. He could also hear Pat arguing with Julian about taking care of Jemima. She deserved to be looked after. She was a sweet kid. And... could he hear someone performing Shakespeare in a nearby room? Humphrey couldn’t tell, but it sounded... decent enough?  
  
He could tell that Robin didn’t bump into his body during his travels, as they finally went out into the garden. Humphrey smiled as an outdoorsy smell hit his nostrils. This was so much nicer than being in the stuffy house, even if it was a tad cold. He wasn’t saying that he hated the house of course... he was saying that it was nice to have a change of scenery for once.

“You sit here?” Robin asked, as he placed Humphrey gently on the garden chair.

“Yeah, that’s good, thank you.” Humphrey tried to nod, before giving up and getting himself comfortable in the chair, “Please can you get someone to pick me up in a couple of hours?”

“Will try.” Robin grunted, before he left. Humphrey turned and looked at the flowerbed opposite him (the one that Alison has made for Mary, if he wasn’t mistaken), and he felt himself relax.

It was nice that Robin had noticed, and then had done something nice, for him. He felt... almost appreciated then. Hopefully one of the other ghosts would notice him in a couple of hours, or that Robin would remember to pick him up again. Otherwise, he would have traded one of his usual haunting spots for this one.

He sighed. Well... at least the view was nice?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I strongly think that Humphrey has a Ghost Power, he just hasn’t discovered it yet because he’s a head most of the time. I genuinely think that he can possess people, but it’s just a dumb head canon.
> 
> Robin is also the most attentive to Humphrey’s needs imo as Robin has been there for a long time, and has probably met a couple of other ghosts who died in equally unfortunate circumstances. Humphrey also deserves hugs, as his afterlife must be really tough.
> 
> And yup, I like callbacks so I got a couple more callbacks in there. :) Along with the series long side plot of Mike and Alison’s Halloween party. I wonder what Day 31 will be about... ;)


	23. Day 23: Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike worries about the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dang we hit 2,000 views! :D Ahhh, thank you so much for the positive feedback, I really appreciate it. :) I hope that you enjoy the next chapter. :)

Mike had made his way downstairs to the kitchen, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. He was up way too early this morning, but unfortunately he had to be. After all, he did need to meet up with the electricians who were coming to look at the wiring in Button House to see if it was done correctly.

He walked over to the Kitchen light switch and flicked it on. The kitchen lights turned on, but started flickering immediately. Mike looked at the light curiously, before he turned the light off and then on again. The lights continued to flicker.

“...Robin? Are you there?” Mike asked cautiously, “Please can you stop playing with the lights?”

“He is not in the room.” The Captain said stiffly, watching all of this unfold. The Captain knew that he was the only ghost in the kitchen at this present moment. Not that Mike knew that though, considering that he could not _see_ the ghosts. Which was infuriating, especially if Alison wasn’t in the house.

“Robin. This isn’t funny. Please can you stop?” Mike sighed, sounding more irate. The Captain looked at Mike, with a look of frustration on his face. He _wished_ that he could tell Mike that Robin wasn’t involved this time. However, the Captain didn’t have the ability to communicate with Mike.

But... Julian did.

Unfortunately he was the solution to this current conundrum.

The Captain quickly marched out of the kitchen, determined to find Julian. Luckily, he knew where Julian was at this time of morning. After all, as their commanding officer, the Captain was responsible for learning all of the ghosts’ usual schedules and haunts, in case of an emergency.

A few seconds later, he saw Julian relaxing in the living room. The Captain made an effort to not look _down_ , instead looking Julian in the eye. “Excuse me, Julian. Can I borrow you for a brief spell?”

“What’s in it for me?” Julian asked, leering at the Captain.

“How about you can choose a film in my stead the next time it’s my turn to choose a film in film club.” The Captain said, after a brief moment of silence. Julian looked at him expectantly. The Captain added with a sigh, “And I will put in a request with Alison to see if we can extend your internet hours.”

“You have a deal Captain.” Julian said with a smirk, standing up, “So, what do you need my help with?”

A minute later, the two of them were back in the Kitchen. Mike was gone by this point, leaving the two ghosts completely alone. Mike had, however, left his phone unlocked on the table, with his texts open.

“I just need you to type out a message to Mike.” The Captain explained to Julian, “It needs to say Robin was not in the Kitchen playing with the lights, or something to that effect.”

Julian nodded, as he walked up to Mike’s phone and began typing. He had barely finished his message when Mike walked back into the Kitchen, walking through Julian as he picked up his phone. He looked at his messages, with a bewildered.

“Robin is innocent?” Mike asked quietly to himself, “Oh! The lights! I guess we need to replace the bulbs, don’t we? I have a couple of spares...” Mike trailed off as he ran out of the kitchen.

“Thank you for your assistance there Julian.” The Captain said gratefully. Julian was still wrenching by the Kitchen counter.”

“You... owe me one.” Julian said weakly.

“Another one of my weeks to pick a film in Film Club?” The Captain offered.

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Captain does come to regret allowing Julian to pick out movies for an extra two weeks, though he still keeps his promise. However, he does put the request to extend Julian’s internet hours and Alison refuses. Mainly because of the Moroccan Tea Party incident.
> 
> At least Robin doesn’t get into trouble with the lights. Mike is so confused when it comes to the House. Is it a Ghost thing or a house thing? Mike don’t know. All he knows is that this house is weird.
> 
> Also, as of yesterday I have finished the drafts for all of the prompts. :o So it should be easy from here on out to just upload everything. :)


	24. Day 24: Poltergeist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty thinks about the relations between the living and the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7 days until Halloween y’all! Heck yeah! :) Thank you all for the positive feedback, I absolutely appreciate it, and I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :)

Over the years, Button House has acquired many a story about ghosts haunting the house. From the little plague girl who could be heard singing in the Pantry, to the one who seemed like they could tame any flame or light source. Even Fanny had gained the title of ‘The Grey Lady’ back when those Ghost Hunters were here.

On the one hand, Kitty found these stories funny. It was mildly amusing that the living thought that they were some sort of... poltergeists when they were in fact just a eclectic group of people who wanted nothing to have a peaceful afterlife. Or to write poetry. Or to make friends. Or to talk about Moroccan Tea Parties...

Never mind. The point was that they were just normal people who just happened to be stuck there after they died.

And that was why Kitty also hated those stories. The more stories that people shared about ghosts wanting to cause havoc in the lives of the living, the more likely it was that people _believed_ them. And the more people that believed them the more likely it was that people would be scared of them. And... if people were scared of them... the more likely it was that films like Ghostbusters would be made.

All of the ghosts had watched it in the end, at her and Pat’s request. They all hated it. It was _such_ an inaccurate portrayal of what being a ghost was like. The film didn’t capture the horror of being forced to walk around the place where you died, unable to touch, eat or drink anything, and all the while the living were able to live their day to day lives as if nothing had happened.

All Kitty wanted to do was to make friends, but it was very hard to do so unless that person had also gone through the shock of dying and then staying on and she wouldn’t wish that on _anyone_.

“Ring-a-ring o' roses, A pocket full of posies, A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.” It was at this point that Kitty could hear someone singing quietly. Oh, it must be Jemima, Kitty realised, as she recognised the familiar tune. Pat had told them to keep an eye out on her, as he felt that she seemed lonely and could do with some friends.

“Oh, hello Jemima! How are you doing today?” Kitty said, trying to sound cheerful and friendly to the young girl even though she was scared of her. Jemima shook her head, before quietly sitting down on the sofa. Kitty continued, “What’s wrong?”

“Pantry cold.” Jemima mumbled shyly, fiddling with her stuffed toy.

“Oh, you can stay in my room if you’d like!” Kitty said warmly, “Oooh we should have a sleepover! That would be fun!”

“What’s a sleepover?” Jemima asked quietly.

“Oh, a sleepover is when you stay in the same room as a friend, and you stay up all night talking about boys, or makeup, or whatever you want to talk about!” Kitty said gleefully, clapping her hands together, “So, what do you say? Do you want to have a sleepover?”

Jemima mulled it over for a minute, before she nodded. Kitty smiled, offering Jemima a hand as she led her up the stairs to her bedroom. All the while, Kitty felt slightly hopeful. She was scared of Jemima once, but now they were slowly becoming friends. Hopefully, if Jemima felt the same way, of course.

If that was the case, then maybe... the living could feel the same way about the dead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have only seen Ghostbusters once admittedly but yeah I think the ghosts would actually be offended by the film. Except Julian and Pat, who probably saw it before they died. Especially because they were blob monsters from what I remember and yet our ghosts are just normal people?
> 
> And Jemima is back! :) I have been wanting to include her in quite a few prompts, but she just wanted to chill in the pantry for a bit and couldn’t find any prompts to fit her in. And yeah, she and Kitty have a wonderful sleepover. :D


	25. Day 25: Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin has fun with the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaah thank you all for the positive feedback. You all are wonderful. :) 
> 
> And I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :)

Robin was having fun today.

The electrician had finished sorting out the electrics, which meant that all of the lights were currently working and turned on. So Robin was going wild, running around the house, eagerly turning the lights off and then on again.

He started in the living room, before he made his way to the library, and then up the stairs towards some of the bedrooms. He chuckled to himself when he accidentally made Fanny jump and scream “Robin!” at the top of her lungs. Glad to see that he could startle her even 100 years after her death.

Currently though, he was hidden in his favourite place- the Kitchen cupboard. He had turned the light off and he was patiently waiting for someone to open the door or come inside, and then he was going to yell “BOO!” at the top of his lungs.

He was already looking forward to it, imagining everyone’s reactions when they came into the cupboard and he could...

He suddenly heard the door rattling. Robin grinned, as he fell silent. He could see the door being opened, all he had to do was to wait and then...

“BOO!” Robin shouted. He could hear Alison gasp, and then her muttering the word ‘Shit’ very quietly. Robin burst out laughing. That was the best reaction yet! He had done a really good job making her jump that time. He continued, “Hahaha. Got you!”

Alison by this point had recovered from her fright, and she looked at Robin. She said, in a monotone voice, “Robin. A word.”

“What is it?” Robin said, sounding confused.

Alison sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. Robin could tell that she was annoyed at him. “Some of the other ghosts have told me that you have been playing with the lights today. Yes, I know it’s fun, and I don’t want to stop you playing with the lights but... we’ve just got our electricity checked and fixed and I’m worried that you playing with the lights would damage them again. Especially because it’s so expensive to get them fixed. Please can you leave the lights alone for a few days?”

Robin looked at Alison, feeling guilty for a second. He could see why Alison was upset with him. He nodded, before grunting, “Ok Alison. I will stop.”

Alison smiled, “Thank you, Robin. I really appreciate it. Do you want me to put a programme on about Astronomy for you later?”

“Would like that.” Robin said, as he followed Alison out of the Kitchen, “Me want to see Moonah.”

Alison nodded, and she promised the programme on for him later this evening. Robin then smiled, before Alison left to sort out the Halloween Party.

Robin looked around, feeling bored. He wasn’t allowed to play with the lights, so there wasn’t much that he could do right now? What could he do to occupy himself until the programme on Astronomy was on TV?

Oh, he had an idea... he hadn’t given Julian a jump scare in some time. A plan began to form in Robin’s mind. If this plan worked, then this was going to be _fun_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whilst this probably isn’t my favourite prompt submission thus far, I did enjoy writing Robin’s more mischievous side. Every prompt he’s been in thus far he’s either been sad or helping people who are sad and I wanted him to have fun for once. :)
> 
> Also Mike- this time Robin is guilty of making the lights flicker. Alison though has already sorted it out. :) 
> 
> I don’t know if Robin’s attempt to jump scare Julian works or not, but it’s kinda a bad idea to jump scare someone with no trousers on...


	26. Day 26: Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas and Pat discuss their betrayals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 days until Halloween y’all!!! :D I’m so excited. :) Thank you all for the amazing feedback!!! :D And I hope that you enjoy the next chapter. :)

Alas, I found myself taken

By your sweet and honeyed words

Unaware that you weaved lies

And engaged in deceitful methods

To gain your heart’s desire.

What was I to you then?

Was I nothing more than a pawn

In your game of chess?

Is that why you egged me on

When I entered that fatal duel?

Do you know what hurts the most?

I still have fond memories of you

Of growing up, of becoming friends

But now I _question_ what was true

As I now know who you were.

“That was wonderful, Thomas.” Thomas turned around, and saw Pat looking at him fondly. Pat continued, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I was just walking past and I heard you reciting some of your poetry. Goodness gracious me, I wish I could write poems like you can.”

“You flatter me.” Thomas said quietly, as he sat down on the sofa. Pat could tell that Thomas was distressed, based on how glassy his eyes were and the forlorn look that he was giving to some corner in the room. He mumbled something to himself, so quietly that Pat couldn’t hear it.

“Excuse me, are you alright?” Pat asked, sitting next to Thomas. Thomas shook his head. Pat continued softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I... it’s been a while since I told Alison about, you know.” Thomas said quietly, pointing at his gunshot wound, “And yet I cannot deal with what my cousin did. I’m trying to move on and forget him, yet his betrayal still stings as harshly as it did on that night.”

_Oh Thomas_. Pat looked at the Regency poet, before he replied, “I know that what happened to me is nowhere near as bad as what you went through, but I found out after my death that Carol was cheating on me with my best friend Morris. It... hurt at first.”

“Does it still hurt?” Thomas asked, looking as vulnerable as he did the night he found out that his cousin arranged his death.

“It still does.” Pat admitted, “And it’s ok to feel that way! I thought that Carol was someone that she wasn’t. You thought Francis was someone that he wasn’t. It’s ok to be hurt, angry and confused by his betrayal. Sometimes I have days where I want to yell at Carol for what she did, and there are days where I want her to be happy.”

“He was happy though.” Thomas said, the bitterness evident in his voice, “I saw him and Isabelle on occasion and they were _happy_. That is the problem. Francis was happy because...”

“We can’t change the past.” Pat said regretfully, “Otherwise I would go back in time and give that wazzock a good punch to the face.”

“You would?” Thomas’ eyes lit up. Pat nodded. Thomas continued softly, “I would truly love to have seen that.”

Pat chuckled to himself, before he decided to get back on topic, “The point is Thomas, your grief is more recent than my own, so you have every right to be angry over what he did. However, you are not alone. If you need to talk to anyone about how you feel, we’ll be happy to listen. I won’t promise that talking will magically make the pain go away, but it helps. It’s like turning a torch on in the middle of the night. The darkness is still there, but you’ve still got some light to navigate with until the dawn breaks and...”

Thomas sniffled, as he weakly smiled at Pat, “I will bear that in mind. Thank you. I... I needed to hear that tonight.”

Pat looked at Thomas sincerely, before replying, “You’re welcome, Thomas. And remember... we’re all in this together, and we’ll be there if you need us.”

Thomas nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to more Thomas poetry! :D Those were the last three verses of that particular poem, Thomas had probably been reciting that poem for an hour so there were more verses than included in the prompt. :)
> 
> And Pat has probably had to help a lot of scouts with their own personal issues so he knows what to say to Thomas, especially considering how he might feel about Carol. And hopefully Thomas will feel better over time. :)
> 
> Also I really want to see Pat beat up Francis. ;)


	27. Day 27: Singing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain sings to himself whilst on evening patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaah thank you for the positive feedback you all are awesome and I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying my prompts so far! :) And I hope that you enjoy the next chapter as well!! :)

“I am the very model of a Modern Major-General, I’ve information vegetable, and mineral. I know the Kings of England and I quote the fights historical from Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical!” The Captain dang quietly to himself, as he began his rounds of Button House. By now, the other ghosts would be fast asleep, but the Captain could not rest yet.

It was 4 days until the Halloween Party. By now, Mike and Alison had finished decorating the house. The Captain thought that the decorations were a little too over the top, but as long as they were happy, he shan’t complain. Instead, he would focus his attention on preventing any intruders from disrupting the festivities. No burglar or foreign army will dare invade Button House.

Not on his watch.

Still... doing watches on his own was sometimes dreadfully dull. He remembered he often used to do watches with Havers back when he was alive. Alas, Havers wasn’t here now, and it was up to him to guard the house alone.

That was why singing helped sometimes. It at least gave him something to do in order to pass the time. He continued singing quietly to himself, “I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical. I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical...”

“Yous be singings, Captain?” The Captain found himself being interrupted as Mary walked into the hallway.

“What if I was? And why are you up this late, Mary?” The Captain asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his singing.

“I was admirings the Halloween decorations and could hear singings.” Mary said, “And then I was curious so I decideds to follows it and then founds you.”

The Captain nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet a little, “Well... I don’t consider myself to be that talented at singing but... I do enjoy it and it does help to pass the time when carrying out routine patrols like this one.”

“Yous should sings more often.” Mary said quietly, “It seems a waste to just sings on patrol.”

The Captain stood up straight, placing his swagger stick under his arm, “Well, Mary. I am currently on a very important mission to protect Button House. I do _not_ have the time to do regular performances of Gilbert and Sullivan.”

“Are yous making sures the House is safes for the Halloween partys?” Mary guessed. The Captain nodded. Mary continued, “When the Halloween Partys is overs, perhaps yous can sings for us then?”

The Captain shuffled awkwardly on his feet, before he nodded, “Yes, I suppose I could then.”

Mary smiled, “I would loves to hear it. Anyways, I will leaves you to your patrols.” With that, the Captain watched her phase through the nearest wall and into her bedroom. The Captain nodded, before he turned around and resumed his evening patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Captain has every right to be extraordinarily vigilant when it comes to doing patrols... especially considering the last time Alison wasn’t in the house.
> 
> Also I hc that the Captain is probably secretly self conscious about his singing but will sing a) in music club b) when he is on his own and c) as a military tactic to unsettle his opponents. I would also like to thank Vicky Pedia for the lyrics to “I am the very model of a modern Major-General”- That was very helpful ;)
> 
> Mary probably finds Halloween slightly confusing but it’s something different so she’s cool with it. :)


	28. Day 28: Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fanny decides that she doesn’t need to go to bed yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy moly we hit 2,500 views!!! :o Aaaaaaaaaaaah thank you so much! 😊😊😊 And Thank you again for the positive feedback, y’all are fantastic! 
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the next prompt!
> 
> Edit: I edited the chapter title as I accidentally called it the wrong prompt name.

Fanny was almost ready to go to bed. She was _exhausted_ , asshe had been helping Alison with deciding what she should prepare for the Halloween Party. After all, if the two of them were going to host a party, then it was _important_ that the guests should be served good food and not this... shop brought party food Mike was insistent on getting.

In the end though, Fanny was able to show Alison and Mike a few _simple_ recipes that shouldn’t blow their budget and could be easily adapted to look more... festive, which was a win in her eyes.

Anyways, where was she? Ah yes, she was meant to be getting ready to go to bed. Fanny started to make her way to her bedroom, looking forward to getting on top of her soft mattress and then to sleep. She did briefly think about how weird it was that they could feel surfaces felt like, despite most of them not being able to touch things, but she quickly brushed those thoughts aside.

She had been used to it for over 100 years at this point. She was just tied and her mind was wondering places. A good nights rest would help wonders. However, as she was about to head into her room, she suddenly could hear footsteps.

“Who’s there?” Fanny asked loudly, turning around to see who it was. Was it Thomas, looking for somewhere to recite poetry? Or the Captain, on his regular evening patrol around the house?

It wasn’t either of them.

Fanny immediately recognised the small girl standing on the opposite end of the corridor. It was Jemima. But what _she_ doing here? Didn’t she normally keep to herself in the Pantry? Fanny didn’t mind that as...

“We should include Jemima more often! She is actually really nice, but she often feels lonely as we have all been ignoring her for the past 300 years!” Pat’s words echoed in Fanny’s mind, causing Fanny to stop. It was most rude of her to dismiss Jemima simply because her appearance was unsettling. She had spent her _entire_ overly long childhood as a ghost. Had she even had a proper upbringing?

Fanny didn’t know. What Fanny did know was that it was improper to leave a child who was clearly in distress.

“Are you alright, Jemima?” Fanny asked quietly, trying not to scare Jemima.

Jemima shook her head, “I... I had a nightmare.”

Fanny thought to herself quietly. When she was raising her own children, what did she use to do when they had nightmares? Or, the more apt question was what did the nannies get husband employed used to do, as Fanny barely experienced her own children’s childhoods. Eventually, Fanny had an idea, “Would you like me to tell you a bedtime story?”

Jemima nodded, “Yes please.”

Fanny smiled at Jemima, and said, “I haven’t had to tell a bedtime story in a long time, so I may be slightly rusty. I will however do my best.”

Jemima nodded again, as Fanny led her into her own room. She didn’t need to go to bed just yet. After all, Jemima had had a fairly lonely childhood, and she needed someone to keep an eye out on her sometimes and make sure that she was doing alright.

Maybe, if all of the ghosts could do this, then Jemima could have a much better childhood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is roughly how the argument over the Party food went down.
> 
> Mike: “Oh yeah, have you heard about Tesco’s Party food range? It has....”  
> Fanny: “Over my dead body! Alison, please tell Mike that you need to serve your guests homemade food?”
> 
> Also Fanny gets to be maternal again. :) She must have had a couple of kids as Heather was her great granddaughter, but she hasn’t had to look after kids in a while so she’s probably forgotten a lot of it. In time, hopefully she’ll remember what to do?
> 
> And yes, I say this every chapter Jemima is in, but Jemima deserves better especially because her entire childhood has been spent as a ghost, and hopefully this weird little family will accept her in time!


	29. Day 29: Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas apologises to Alison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah thank you all for the positive feedback! :D You all are amazing and seeing all of the feedback makes me very happy! :) 
> 
> Anyways I hope that you enjoy the next chapter :)
> 
> Edit: I misspelled wanton. Thank you tiasworld93 for spotting that, it has now been corrected. :)

It was late afternoon, and Alison was busy getting ready to carve the pumpkins in preparation for the Halloween Party. She had gotten a few simple stencils off the internet, and she had hollowed out the pumpkins. All she had to do was to actually carve out the shapes and then put the tea lights into the pumpkins.

“Oh, fair Alison. A word?” Alison looked up, as she recognized the familiar voice. Thomas had burst into the room dramatically and was looking expectantly at her.

“I am slightly busy, Thomas. Can this wait?” Alison asked, looking at Thomas desperately. Thomas shook his head. Alison nodded, and gently placed the carving knife onto the kitchen table, “So... what do you want to talk about?”

“I have been thinking a lot about the night I told you about my unfortunate demise.” Thomas said, sounding slightly nervous, “And there was one remark that you made that... I finally understand.”

“Oh?” Alison looked at Thomas even more intently, curious as to what he was going to say.

“It was your remark about me having the wrong impression of people, especially in more romantic contexts. I have been wracking my brains for a long time, trying to work out who you were referring to, before I realized that you were referring to yourself.” Alison nodded, deciding not to speak in order to allow Thomas to fully express himself. Thomas mulled over what to say next, before he said simple, “I wish to extend an apology to you.”

“Oh? What for?” Alison asked, trying to sound completely and utterly neutral. Thomas fiddled with the ruffles on his sleeves. Alison added, “If you aren’t ready to talk about it yet, it’s ok...”

“No, I need to apologize to you.” Thomas interrupted, “Ever since you and Mike moved into this house, I have been pursuing you romantically, with wanton disregard for your feelings. I realise that it was wrong for me to do so, and therefore I shall attempt to... ‘move on’ from you. I am sorry if my actions have caused you any distress...”

“It’s fine.” Alison said, smiling at Thomas, secretly relieved that Thomas had finally come to this realization, “I forgive you.”

“Oh, thank you Alison!” Thomas said gratefully, beaming at Alison, “I am glad that you can forgive me for my abhorrent behaviour. I hope that over time we can become good friends, in a strictly platonic sense of course.”

Alison smiled, “Yeah, friends sounds good, Thomas.” Alison walked over to Thomas, and was about to hug him, when she realised a small problem with that, “Oh yeah, I can’t...”

“Yeah...” Thomas muttered awkwardly, “I appreciate the thought though. So... friends?”

Alison took a step backwards, before she nodded firmly, “Friends.”

Thomas smiled, before he bowed to Alison, “I must thank you again for lending an ear to my apologies, and I will strive to be a better friend to you Alison.”

Alison waved goodbye to Thomas, before he walked out of the kitchen. Once he had gone, Alison turned her attention back to the pumpkins she was supposed to be carving before she got distracted. She was glad that Thomas was moving on from her though. She worried about him sometimes, as she didn’t want his heart to break over her.

At least, with him moving on, the two of them could become much better friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this out of character for Thomas? Yes. Do I want Thomas to move on from Alison, instead aiming to become a better friend for her and find love/happiness elsewhere instead? Also yes. :) This chapter is personal wish fulfilment and I stand by that.
> 
> Also this wasn’t my original plan for Day 29: Moving On. The original plan was for a Thomas and Captain central fic that was about Thomas encouraging the Captain to move on from the war, and not to define himself by his military rank. However, that prompt turned into Day 19: Blood which allowed this to be written instead.
> 
> Writing Thomas’ apology was also hard. I didn’t want it to be a half arsed apology but then I didn’t want Thomas to make it all about himself. In the end I stuck to the simple rule of making an apology- 1) Say what you did wrong, 2) apologise for it and 3) Say how you’ll do better next time. 
> 
> As for Alison’s quick acceptance? I think it’s partially because she doesn’t want to cause a scene and mainly because I think she’s more exasperated by Thomas’ actions instead of being hurt by them.


	30. Day 30: Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Julian discuss forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is tomorrow!! :o Which means that Ghostober is going to be over soon :( Thank you all for joining me on this fun little journey and for all the great feedback- I really appreciate it! I hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :)
> 
> Also - I have written another Ghosts fic separate from Ghostober this month- it is called ‘The Ghost of Hyde Park’. If you are interested in reading it please do as I really like how that one turned out 😊

“Horsey...here.” Robin said, as he gestured towards the chessboard. Julian complied, grunting a little as he moved the chess piece to where Robin was pointing, allowing him to take his Queen. Robin then looked at the board for a second, before muttering, “Checkmate.”

Oh yeah... Julian noticed that his King was completely unguarded, and all of Robin’s most powerful pieces were completely surrounding it. Julian was about to ask for another game, when he realised that Robin would probably win that one as well. Robin was _good_ at chess. After all, he had had forever to learn and practise the game. Hmmm... forever...

Before Julian thought about it, he asked Robin a question, “So... how do you deal with forever, Robin?”

“Forever?” Robin asked, looking at Julian with confusion in his eyes.

“Well, you’re old Robin...” Julian began, before he stopped when he saw a look of anger in Robin’s eyes, “I... could have chosen... anyway. The point in trying to, erm, make is that... you’ve been haunting Button House for a _long time_. If I had to haunt this dump until 12020, and not that I _intend_ to, as I plan on getting ‘sucked off’ as Mary often puts it, how should I cope with being here forever?”

Robin looked at Julian thoughtfully, before he looked at the chessboard again. Eventually, Robin replied, “Don’t think ‘bout forever.”

“What do you mean by that?” Julian asked, forgetting that he was meant to be playing chess with Robin at this point, and instead was wondering what the hell Robin was going to say next.

Robin hummed to himself, before he said calmly, “Think ‘bout forever make you mad. Can’t know how long you got. Think ‘bout now.”

“How can you _not_ think about forever? We’re stuck haunting this place. We might be here long after humanity has gone extinct! What...?” Julian said, feeling agitated. Robin quickly shushed him, as he looked around the living room.

“It hard not to.” Robin admitted sadly, “But thinking make it worse. Should find stuff to do.” Julian smirked at the phrase ‘to do’. Robin continued, ignoring Julian’s amusement, “I play with lights. You can touch stuff. Can have fun.”

“So, you’re saying that the reason you like making us jump is because it helps you deal with the boredom?” Julian asked quietly, feeling weirdly vulnerable. It has been... a long time since he had allowed himself to be this genuine with another person.

Robin shrugged, “Part of it. Can’t make people jump all the time. People will jump less easy.”

“Then what...?” Julian asked, or began to ask, before Robin stopped him.

“I learn. I grow. See new things. Meet new ghosts.” Robin said, looking at Julian’s King, “I learn chess. I learn English. Point is, find stuff to look forward to. Accept change. Learn. Grow.”

Julian nodded, mulling over Robin’s words. So, in order to cope with forever, he needed to keep himself occupied, and accept that change would eventually occur in Button House... Julian turned to look at Robin, “So, do you want to play another game of chess?”

“You on.” Robin nodded. Julian smiled, before he began to reset the chess board, strategies for the next match occupying his thoughts. Maybe... if he learnt and practised enough, he could beat Robin one day. _One day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Julian is the youngest ghost and he’s been a ghost for roughly 20/30 years. The idea of forever probably hasn’t crossed his brain much yet. Which is why paralleling him with Robin was fascinating as Robin has seen far more than most people will ever see. Julian And Robin are just a fascinating duo full stop. 
> 
> Robin’s answer is also how I would probably cope if I had forever- I would just go on one long road trip and see as much as I could see.
> 
> Julian heard Mary refer to passing on as being ‘sucked off’ and enjoys the double entendres so that’s what he calls it. I don’t care if he wasn’t there for that convo in canon, he has heard that phrase being used in this AU.
> 
> Also the line about humanity becoming extinct makes me wonder if there are dinosaur ghosts. The answer is probably no but just the idea of dinosaur ghosts gets to me.
> 
> Finally- I will advise setting some time aside when it comes to reading tomorrow’s prompt- it is 2,345 words long. :o


	31. Day 31: Halloween Celebrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Alison and Mike’s Halloween Party, the Ghosts have a celebration of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone! :D And welcome to the final Ghostober prompt :(. I had a blast working on this challenge and I am so happy and grateful that so many people joined me on this journey. :) Thank you so, so much for everything - I really appreciate it. :)
> 
> And, as always, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter. :)

Halloween, in the end, was a success.

The morning had started off with the ghost’s performance of Macbeth. Alison unfortunately didn’t have the time to watch the whole play, as she had to finish off the last few bits or preparation for the Halloween party, but she did end up watching the first act and, to the relief of the performers, she had enjoyed the performance.

The ghosts then watched as Alison and Mike prepared and dished up the food for the party. Much to the ghosts’ shock, a lot of the food that Alison and Mike had cooked in the end was food that they remembered from when they were alive. Granted, it was the simpler recipes, but the ghosts appreciated the thought and the small reminder of what food they enjoyed when they were alive.

Mike had then gone out in the early afternoon in order to pick up a few of his relatives from the nearest train station. The rest of them were driving themselves to Button House and would be there later on in the day. This left Alison to make sure that all of the decorations were in place. The Captain in particular was in his _element_ , helping Alison to make sure that the house looked spooky enough to terrify Mike’s relatives.  
  
Then Mike’s relatives arrived, and the party started. All of the ghosts had decided to attend, as Alison had invited them and... there hadn’t been a Halloween party hosted at Button House before and they were curious. Some of them hadn’t been to a Halloween Party before, and some of them hadn’t celebrated Halloween like this in a long time. All of them had thought that Ellie’s ghost costume was adorable, though it wasn’t entirely accurate. And the rest of Mike’s family were wonderful! Of course, none of them could actually... see the ghosts, but they seemed like charming people.

It was late in the evening now, and all of the living residents and their guests had long since turned in for the night. Tomorrow, they would be going home and life in the house would return back to normal. For now, the ghosts were relaxing in the living room downstairs, enjoying the last little bit of the Halloween celebrations.

“Oh, I really enjoyed the Halloween party!” Kitty said happily, as she sat on the sofa next to Jemima and Thomas. The Captain and Pat were getting a game of charades ready, allowing the other ghosts a chance to chat amongst themselves. Kitty continued, “I do hope that they do another one next year! I would be sad if they...”

“I mean, the party itself was slightly vulgar and All Hallows’ Eve has lost its meaning due to the holiday being commercialised.” Fanny grumbled, as she tidied up her dress, “Still, I will admit that Alison and Mike are fine hosts and they did organise a wonderful party.”

“See, I told you that you’d like it Fanny!” Pat said cheerfully, as he fiddled with his glasses a little.

“Well, er, yes, it was a _good_ Halloween Party.” Julian said with a smirk, as he fiddled with his tie, “But the one I went to in 1990 was...”

“I thought you said that this party was...!” Thomas interrupted, looking at Julian angrily.

“Yeah, but, Alison and Mike were...” It was Julian’s turn to interrupt, as he shouted over Thomas. Jemima at this point was placing her hands over her ears in an attempt to drown out the noise. Julian didn’t seem to notice this as he continued, “It’s rude to say to a host that their...”

“That is quite enough!” The Captain said, in an authoritative tone, as he placed his swagger stick under his arm, “Now, we can all agree that the Halloween celebrations that we all were invited to and attended were in fact excellent. Therefore, we should stop arguing over which Halloween party we attended was the best and instead focus on our own celebrations.”

“Whats about Mike’s sister?” Mary asked quietly, “She dresses like a witch. Is this heres...?”

“Relax, Mary. It was just a costume.” Pat said, trying to reassure Mary that Harriet wasn’t a servant of Satan, “I’m sure that she isn’t an actual witch...” Mary nodded, still looking unconvinced but she fell silent. Pat continued, “That was a good Halloween party though.”

“I do agree with you there, Pat.” Thomas said, with a flourish of his right arm, “This Party was simply wonderful. The decorations were splendid, the food smelt divine...”

“And it was organised by Alison, the love of your life?” Julian said, rolling his eyes as he could tell that Thomas was about to launch into reciting some more poetry again.

Thomas shook his head, “I _was_ going to say that the company was great and the atmosphere sublime. I really had a good time this evening. Besides, Alison and I have come to the agreement that we would be better friends than lovers.” The other ghosts looked at Thomas in stunned silence, especially because Thomas sounded _happy_ about that development.

“Good party.” Robin agreed, changing the topic quickly, “Nice to be invited.”

“Oh yeah, I do agree with that. It was nice for Alison to invite us.” Humphrey smiled. Unusually, his head was actually attached to his body, so he was able to use his hands for the first time in a... while. “Heather didn’t really do this that often, so it is lovely to see Button House hosting parties again.”

“Yeah, and with you guys here as well, it really felt like a family celebration...” Pat began, before he suddenly fell silent. _He had said that out loud_. He had actually said that out loud. The other ghosts were _not_ saying anything. The silence was uncomfortable. Had he made a mistake? Pat quickly backtracked, “I mean... I didn’t...”

“Oh, does that mean that Thomas is like my brother?” Kitty said cheerfully completely ignoring, or not noticing, Pat’s attempts to back-pedal, “I mean, he is a little melodramatic sometimes, and his love of poetry can be obsessive...”

“Hey!” Thomas pouted, looking crestfallen.

“But I have always wanted a brother, and Thomas is simply wonderful!” Kitty finished, before adding, “Oh, and you can be my little sister, Jemima! We can do so many fun things together! Oh! Alison said that she was going to host a Moroccan Tea Party for me once she finished organising the wedding, and I do think that she wouldn’t mind if you were there as well. I think she would be delighted to show the both of us how the tea is poured in a Moroccan Tea Party...”

The other ghosts, who were glaring furiously at Julian, seemed to relax slightly when they realised what Alison had done. Thank goodness Alison was willing to protect Kitty’s innocence. Jemima nodded, before quietly saying, “If she would like me to be there, then I would like to go.”

“Of course Alison wouldn’t mind!” Pat said cheerfully, “She is so patient with us and you are an absolute sweetheart. Of course she’d love you!” Jemima smiled at Pat’s remark.

Thomas, meanwhile, was just sitting on the sofa in stunned silence. Kitty had called him _wonderful_. She said that he was like a brother to her. He felt genuinely touched because, for the first time in a long time, it felt like someone truly wanted _him_ around. And, he thought that she was a wonderful little sister as well, even if she was technically older than him...  
  
“We are not really a family, though.” The other ghosts turned around as Fanny spoke up, “Family are traditionally related by flesh and blood and I am not related to any of you in the slightest!”

Robin looked at Fanny, almost as if he was about to challenge her, “You wrong. Not everyone in tribe related. Some come from other tribes. Joined our tribe. Still family. Care for them. Accept them. Mourn them. But not related by blood. Connected by love.”

Fanny was about to reply to Robin’s remarks, when she suddenly started to think about it a little more. She had known most of the people present in this room for over a 100 years. That was longer than she had known her own flesh and blood and she _had_ started to care about a lot of the ghosts here. She cared about Thomas when he found out what his vile cousin had done to him. She cared about Mary, and hoped that one day she would be able to share her own trauma with them. She had even cared about _Julian_ , back when he had opened up to her about Winston a few months ago. She turned to look at Robin and said quietly, “You... May be right there, Robin. Perhaps, in some strange sense we are a family, even if we... are not related by blood? We may not have chosen to stay on as ghosts after our deaths, but we may have in fact chosen to care for each other, as if we were a family.”

The Captain looked at Fanny, started by her sudden change of opinion. Fanny, whilst being loud and slightly opinionated, was one of the most rational ghosts here, and yet she was buying into this nonsense!? He couldn’t imagine becoming a family with _any_ of the ghosts here. They are foolish, and irresponsible, and he was their commanding officer. He had to...

Yet he had seen the soldiers under his care as a second family of sorts, hadn’t he? Back when he was alive, back when Button House was a military base, back when Havers was still... And he had that nightmare when he had seen all of their bodies, hadn’t he? Damn it, he cared for _them_ more than he thought he did.   
  
“So, are you including me in this family you’ve got going on?” Humphrey asked. His head had fallen onto the floor by this point, and he was trying to shuffle back towards his body. Kitty nodded, as she picked up Humphrey’s head and smiled at him.

“Is agrees with Kitty!” Mary said happily, “Yous helped me a lots when I dieds and yous do a lots for us, even ifs we loses you from time to time. Yous family.” Humphrey looked at Kitty, and then at Mary, resisting the urge to cry. It was nice to be included for once, and Mary’s words... he wished that he had a body at this moment just so that he could give both of them a hug.

Pat was watching all of this going on in shock. He had accidentally called them a family. He wasn’t expecting his accidental remark to cause the floodgates to open as a majority of the ghosts actually seemed to agree with him. He had almost cried when he heard Thomas tell Kitty that she was a wonderful little sister. He did actually cry when he saw more of the ghosts affirm their love of Jemima. He saw Mary looking at him, with concern in her eyes. He muttered, “I... I’m sorry. Just wasn’t expecting any of this.”

“Don’t you worrys Pat. Yous a good man.” Mary said warmly, “Is agree with yous as well. Before me burnings, my whole village was likes a family to me. All of thems evens attended my weddings. All of thems mourned when me husband dieds. Not all of thems related by blood.” Pat nodded, continuing to cry happily as he watched everything unfold. 

Julian fidgeted in his chair awkwardly, as he listened to all of the ghosts discuss their newfound sense of family. He eventually decided to speak up, “So, erm, do you think that I, err, count as a member of this weird little family?”

The Captain looked at Julian, before he stiffly walked up to the disgraced politician. “Well, whilst you are an indecent fellow and you...” The Captain coughed, as he fiddled with his suit tie, “You are part of our family as well. Now, this does not mean...”

Julian zoned out as, for the first time in a while, he was truly speechless. They were making a mistake including him in their family, considering how awful a person he was. But... if they were including him them maybe, just maybe, he could open up to the other ghosts about his own doubts and insecurities. Robin had said that learning was part of how he coped with being here forever, right? Perhaps he could learn to be honest with the other ghosts, and he could learn how to trust people again.

“Thank you... for saying that I am part of the family as well.” Jemima said quietly, as she hugged her stuffed toy tightly. She could tell that they were still slightly unnerved by her appearance, but ever since Pat had played hide and seek with her, the other ghosts had started making an effort to include her more often. She.... liked that. She was just scared that they would eventually stop including her.

Eventually though, the Captain made a coughing noise. Everyone turned and looked at him, with a look of confusion on their faces. The Captain began, “Firstly, please can someone reattach Humphrey’s head to his body?”

Kitty nodded, quickly placing Humphrey’s head back onto his body. Humphrey smiled, “Ahh, thank you Kitty for that. I really appreciate it.”

“Good see you whole again.” Robin agreed, smiling at Humphrey.

The Captain nodded, before continuing, “Thank you Katherine. So, I wish to propose a toast.”

“A toast?” Fanny repeated, sounding confused.

“Whatever for?” Thomas asked, equally mystified.

The Captain ignored their questions, raising an imaginary glass in the air. He fell silent for a second, before he said sincerely, “To family.”

The other ghosts looked at the Captain, and everyone in unison copied him, raising their own imaginary glasses high up in the air, before they all repeated, “To family.” Once this had been done, their own Halloween celebrations began in earnest.   
  
And, in the end, their own Halloween celebrations were a success as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering today’s prompt was really long, I get to make a long Author’s Note. :)
> 
> Yeah, I could have written the Halloween Party but in the end I didn’t see the Party itself as being as important as the events of the After Party so I didn’t want to focus on it that much. Everyone has a jolly good time at the party- and yes, that includes Fanny and Mary. 
> 
> I will say that the Ghiscord gave me the terrible, terrible idea of having Kitty introduce Jemima to Moroccan Tea Parties. I was getting ready to write this when I posted Day 18, and the Ghiscord were making a few jokes about the chapter. I remembered that I had a Kitty and Jemima prompt coming up and I went... “Oh no... I could do that.” and now Kitty is taking Jemima to a Moroccan Tea Party. XD Julian is getting into so much trouble afterwards.
> 
> Anyways, when I first saw the Ghostober prompt list, this was the first chapter I had an idea for and every single prompt I wrote for this month was building up to this. The idea of Pat accidentally calling the rest of the Ghosts a family, only for all of the ghosts to agree with him, struck a chord with me and I really wanted to write it. I just want the Ghosts to be happy and recognise that they are a found family. 
> 
> Some of the reactions were so fun to write as well, especially Fanny and the Captain’s realisations that they actually cared for the Ghosts and would be happy for them to be considered family. Also Kitty immediately calling Thomas her brother and Jemima her sister was super fun to write as well. Julian’s section was also fun to write as he secretly wants to be included as well and then he’s shocked to be actually included. 
> 
> But yeah, this chapter probably wouldn’t have happened if Pat hadn’t said those words. I think that some of the Ghosts, even now, have a fear of being seen for who they truly are so they bury their vulnerabilities under a persona of sorts and I think wanting to acknowledge that they see the other ghosts as family counts as one. But hopefully, over time, more of the ghosts will open up about their own struggles and the other ghosts will support them in the show and then they can be happy and feel loved.
> 
> Finally - that scene with the Captain raising a toast to family made me really emotional and I hope they can recognise that they are family in canon.


End file.
